Circuitous
by Hailey813
Summary: Danielle's life has been solitary and cold. In order to fulfill the duty of her existence, she will adventure out of her hidden confines and prove herself to her father. In the end, she just wants to be loved. A flipped view of Kindred Spirits, holding true to cannon.
1. Dani's Creation

Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom. I am writing for entertainment value and receive no monetary value from this work.

An older, powerful ghost floated down the long walkway followed by his young apprentice. The young ghost girl guzzled her water as she listened to her father, Vlad Plasmius.

"You have come far in developing your powers my dear. In fact, I have decided from now on you will rise from simple targets and objectives. Today you will train amongst one of your brethren."

"A real spar?" The young ghost girl beamed at her father. Her father had several ghosts in his care, but she wasn't supposed to converse with them. This would be her chance to meet someone new.

The young ghost, Danielle Phantom, fist pumped, curling her knees up to meet her elbow. The elder ghost merely rolled his eyes up at her antics. "Just wait, Daddy. He'll be begging for mercy," she said narrowing her eyes, determined.

"It is imperative you give it your best effort." he continued. "I have instruments ready, monitoring your every move. I need these readings on your speed, power, agility, and coordination."

Dani smirked and nodded along as he continued.

He turned to face her. "Do not disappoint me! This is important to determine your stability."

Arching her back, Dani sported a wide grin as she saluted. "Yes, sir!"

Phasing through the door, the two ghost positioned themselves in the arena. The young girl briskly flew to her side of the ring while her father floated to the monitors outside the arena.

Addressing his ward, the ghost began. "We will begin with an easier opponent." He began typing, to call the opposing ghost in. "I expect to see your full strength in battle."

Danielle mock-punched and prepared herself for her opponent. Although she had never fought against another ghost in the ring before, she knew her father had high expectations for her. She had full faith she could handle anything.

"Computer, send in G458."

A female hologram appeared and answered, "Yes... Darling, Ghost Number 458 is being transported to the arena." The hologram then faded away leaving the two ghost alone.

Within the minute, a cylindrical cubicle rose out of the opposite corner of the arena. Danielle took a calming breath while preparing a plasma blast in her hands waiting for the doors of the cubicle to reveal her opponent. A ding signaled the beginning of the match. The doors opened to reveal a large ghost-bear tearing into the arena.

Danielle tried to focus on the last two weeks of training. She had to get this right!

The ghost bear lunged straight for the first thing it saw, being Danielle. Danielle made as if to attack, waiting to the last moment, then dodged the attack, causing the ghost to fly straight into the wall behind the arena.

Danielle smirked and taunted back at the bear "Haha, I was hoping for a challenge today, but you might want to go back to the hundred acre woods." The ghost bear turns back toward her growling. "Do you need a minute to gather your _bearings_?" Danielle rolled back in the air, laughing.

Her father sighed and took a second to rub his eyes. Danielle had trouble focusing on the battle at hand. He would need all her readings in order to perfect his clone. Danielle was imperative to his research; the first clone to be mostly stable.

Still curled up laughing, Danielle could sense the ghost bear coming toward her from the other side of the arena full speed. Spinning lazily sideways, she once again waited until the last possible moment before this time turning intangible causing the ghost to pass through her, only to once again flatten his head against the opposite wall.

Plasmius rolled his eyes, her quips reminded him of another young halfa. "Danielle," he sang. "We talked about your attack limits," he hissed.

Shrugging, she answered, "Just having some fun, Daddy." Proving her point, she stretched her foot back several feet and caused the bear to trip and land on its back. She smirked, never even had turned around.

"Cheap slapstick," he muttered. "You aren't in training to have fun, Danielle. You're here to serve my purpose. To create the perfect half ghost to rule at my side."

Danielle could feel her pride bubble at his words and elevated a few inches higher. She would become the best halfa in the world. She was cloned from the best DNA available and was trained by the best teacher available. She turned back to the ghost bear with a new sense of purpose. The bear shook his head and began rising from its back.

"Wanna try it again, Yogi?"

Plasmius sighed and slapped his forehead.

Danielle began charging her plasma blasts. They began growing bigger and hotter and hotter.

"More power, Danielle. Reach your limit," her father instructed.

Danielle continued charging the plasma in her hands until she could feel the heat traveling down through her body. Green ectoplasmic bubbles began gooping from her legs, but she didn't notice as she began to decompose. The tingling in her legs was nothing compared to the intense power and heat she was holding in her hands. Finally, she could no longer hold the blast. Right before the bear began another charge toward her, she chucked the plasma blast toward the ghost bear.

The blast hit the ghost forcing it back to the arena wall. Danielle leaned down using her legs as a support. She had never made a blast that powerful before. It was absolutely exhausting. The tingling in her legs began to subside. She was having trouble keeping her ghost form. She could feel the rings trying to change her back to her human half.

Breathing hard, she forced herself back up from the floor toward her opponent. She gasped. The bear was breaking down before her eyes into plasmic goo.

The bear opened its mouth with its final words, "Father..." The ghosts last word rested with her father, Plasmius. The girl looked at her father with fear in her eyes. She hadn't meant to destroy, only spar.

"That was better Danielle, but you still are not giving it your all."

He's not angry with me?

"I'm sorry Daddy. I didn't know I'd hurt him so badly."

"A small price to complete your purpose, my dear. I need you to display the full power of your abilities or I'm afraid I'll never be able to fix you."

Her heart sank. Danielle didn't think she could do any better than her performance tonight without breaking down into plasma herself, but the shock of what just occurred left her without an argument. "Yes Daddy."

"You haven't reached your maximum capabilities as of yet, but I will analyze the new data obtained tonight. Go on to your room, Danielle. I'll send someone with your dinner."

"Good night, Daddy!"

"We'll try again tomorrow. I have a terrible amount of work and calculations to complete." Turning intangible, he phased through the floor back to his laboratory.

...

My father has tried everything to fix me. When I use my ghost powers, I begin destabilizing into ectoplasm. Daddy doesn't understand what's wrong with me, but he works hard every night to find the solution. After my training, he goes down into his laboratory until he finishes his calculations for the night.

Once I came in to help him with his work, but as soon as he realized I was in the room, he forced me back to my holding tank. Each ghost under my Daddy's care has one to sleep in. Although I prefer sleeping in my human form because it's more stable than my ghost form, it makes my chamber uncomfortable to sleep in. The metal is cold and cramped, and I can't float for very long while in my human form. The next morning I found bruises on my arms where he grabbed me. I know he could do far worse, especially when he's angry. It was my fault for disobeying him.

The energy rings change me into my human form, and I walk back to the tanks. That blast took a lot out of me. The other ghosts are already settled in. Daddy keeps us all under his care until we are needed for special missions. Many of the other ghosts have been sent out, but Daddy hasn't sent me out yet. Until I stabilize, it's too dangerous. I could turn into a pile of goo.

Pulling my sleeve further down my arms, I watch the other ghosts returning from their missions. No one ever talks with me. Even when I went to visit the various ghosts under my father's care, they never seem to even notice me. When Daddy summons them, they respond to his every command.

Climbing into my chamber, I curl up beside the door and wait. The other ghosts are beginning to return and await further instructions. I don't know how they can just float there doing nothing. I can't stand just sitting still all the time. I lean back into the cold wall of my chamber. It wouldn't be as bad if I was in my ghost form, but I'm afraid to exert myself more than needed for Daddy's experiments. I might just wake up without legs. I've seen it happen to some of the other ghost before.

...

_It's cold and dark. I'm scared..._

_Voices and machines litter the space around me. Wires attach to my body. The walls enclosing me open to reveal a ghost calmly observing my tube. Although wearing a white suit, darkness seems to manifest from him. He almost seems more like a vampire than a ghost._

_"What's this?"_

_His voice is calm but commanding as well._

_"Now how could this have happened?" he inquired. "Computer?"_

_"Subject's Y Chromosome appears to have been damaged. It seems to have been replaced with an X chromosome...darling."_

_"How curious. It seems my Daniel has become, a Danielle."_

_The bright lights hurt my eyes. I squeeze them shut in an effort to barrier myself from the strange world before me._

_Amused, he called out softly. "Now, now, my dear. No need to hide." _

_What are you?_

_I peek an eye to observe the creature before me._

_"Very good. Open your eyes and come meet your father."_

_My father?_

_"Daddy?"_

_My voice... it's so hoarse._

_The ghost before me smiles, pleased. "Yes my dear. Come... and serve your father."_

_The tube began draining out the ectoplasm and the cables detach from my skin. I slowly sink down with the fluid until there is nothing left. Now laying across the bottom, I push myself up before hovering above the ground even without the plasma's buoyancy holding me afloat. My father presses a button that causes the glass doors of the tube to slide open allowing me to exit the vessel._

_Floating out of my chamber, I slowly come closer to my creator. He towers over me._

_The ghost stands over me and looks me over, sizing me up._

_Under his glare, I duck my head a bit allowing my snow white bangs to cover my face._

_"Now then. Let us begin your training."_

_Training?_

_"You will join me and become the most powerful halfa the world has ever seen."_

_Me... powerful? All I feel now in this creature's presence is weak and minuscule._

_"Your first lesson will be to morph to your human side." A set of rings formed around his body and separated to leave behind a man where my father previously stood. Although his dark appearance changed, it still held the authority and control of the ghost who created me._

_I felt a gasp leave my lips as my eyes widened._

_"Go on, Danielle," he encouraged. Morph." His face hardened slightly._

_This is a test._

_Although not sure what to do, I focused on the rings forming around my body like my Daddy's did._

_Nothing._

_I closed my eyes tight and concentrated harder. I'm supposed to change. Why isn't anything happening?_

_After a few seconds, I opened my eyes to see my creator looking disappointed._

_"This is supposed to be natural." he murmured to himself._

_He doesn't like me._

_I felt alone, and cold again._

_No, I don't want to be alone. I want to belong. I want to be good._

_I want to be, alive._

_I heard the sound of my father's rings again. The energy overtakes me._

_He doesn't love me because I wasn't good._

_Feeling tears in my eyes, I looked up at him one last time._

_"Very good, my dear," the man nodded approvingly._

_He's still human? Then what was that sound?_

_I notice my previously white hair is now raven black. I feel warmer and heavier. My skin isn't nearly as pale-tan as before, having a more pink color to it. _

_What happened?_

_"But first," he stated raising an eyebrow, "priorities." He collected a pile of clothing on the table. "These obviously won't due."_

_What does he mean? What's wrong with me?_

_"Come with me Danielle. It seems we have some shopping to do."_

_Shopping?_

_"Come now, I have a personal stylist always on hold."_

…..

"Danielle."

I felt myself jump.

Oh no, I must have fallen asleep.

"Danielle, I have a very special opponent for you today." I look up to meet his gaze. He is ignoring the fact I'm in my human form. He must be pleased about something. "You will fight a fellow clone from the halfa which you were created from." I blinked.

Another clone? That makes us... family.

Daddy always said the other ghosts were my brethren. That must make this ghost like my cousin. We're closer than brethren. We're actually related, like for real.

"Daniel, come meet your opponent."

I push myself up to see the new arrival. An older boy floated forward from behind Daddy. His form was similar to my ghost half, but his face remained neutral like the other ghosts.

If he was a clone like me, maybe he will want to be friends.

"Daniel," I tried. He didn't respond at first, but then looked down and met my eyes. Smiling, I held his gaze before he returned to his neutral gaze.

"Daniel and you will have a match in the training room as soon as I set up several new monitors. You will be there ready in a half hour Danielle."

"Yes, Daddy." I allow my eyes to leave my father's gaze to look once again at my new found cousin. I knew the ghost I was created from was a boy, but I didn't expect him to be older than me. Is that what my original looked like or is he broken as well?

Daddy leads my cousin to an empty holding chamber and phases back downstairs. I know I should stay in my chamber until the spar, but I can't wait to meet my cousin. None of the other ghosts have even looked at me before, let alone meet my gaze. I tiptoe toward the chamber. Peeking inside I see him floating in the center of the tube.

"Pssst, Daniel." Waving my hand, I call attention to me. "Daniel, over here."

He still isn't looking my way. Glancing back and forth, I morph into my ghost half and fly over to his bunk. "Daniel, it's me, Danielle." I float up to his eye level. His head is rocking back and forth a bit.

Is there something wrong with you too?

"Daniel, I'm your cousin, Danielle. I wanted to wish you luck."

I can hear a sound from his throat, but I'm not sure what he's saying.

Wait, is he growling at me? This isn't exactly the first impression I was hoping for. Maybe if I try again, he'll realize I'm trying to be friendly.

"Daniel, I just wanted us to meet and maybe later we can hang out." I definitely sound more confident than I feel. If I can make one friend, I won't have to be lonely any longer. "Whatcha say, Cuz?"

"Danielle."

Uh Oh, Daddy's calling from the training room. I phase through the ceiling into the training room. Landing in the ring, I wait for Daniel's chamber to travel up from the bunk room into the training room.

"Danielle, I expect you to give me the readings needed to stabilize my little clone."

He's never called me that before. I feel my face light up.

"You've got it, Daddy. I'm gonna kick his butt."

I will be monitoring your readings from the laboratory.

Daniel's chamber came up from under the training arena. The door hums before the closed chamber begins to open its doors. I am surprised to see Daniel inside convulsing. His skin bubbling and spouting plasma. Horror and panic took over my previous bravado.

What do I do? What do I do?

"Daddy," screaming I phased straight into his laboratory. Shocked, Daddy spun around to me. "Daniel. He's...He's..." Before I can finish my squeals Daddy shoots past me towards Daniel's chamber in the arena. Left alone in the lab, I try to calm down. Daddy will fix Daniel. Just like he's trying to fix me.

Trying to catch my breath, I allow myself to sink down to the floor. I know I'm not supposed to wander around the lab, but I don't want to go back to the arena now. I can't get Daniel's face out of my mind.

Desperate to find something else, I look at Daddy's computer. He's supposed to be watching the arena, but it seems to be researching something else. Deeming the computer safe, I come closer to investigate.

The monitor is reviewing information about something called ecto acne. What ever that is.

Another computer has Daniel's information displayed.

'I didn't know Daddy has already began testing his stats.'

From the surveillance videos, I can see buildings and the sky. Each video displays Daniel flying and sparing.

'Daddy has taken Daniel outside? He's sparing ghosts outside the mansion. If the stats are this high, why haven't we spared yet? Why is he breaking down? Daniel seems perfectly stable on screen.'

I can hear Daddy phasing through the wall back into the lab. I want to ask him about Daniel, but I'm afraid of the answer. He seems pretty miffed.

Using the wall behind his desk as a support, I drop down and allow my head to rest upon my knees.

"Why isn't this working?" I peek up at my father's words. "Danielle is by far the most stable clone yet. I just want a child to be a father to. Hundreds of attempts down the drain," he pushed several papers from his desk. "Valerie's gear should have come up with an answer by now."

'Hundreds of attempts? I haven't seen hundreds of ghosts here. Never more than ten at a time before they move on.'

Daddy's rings turn him back to his human half. He hesitates a moment before walking in front of a mirror.

When he turns his head, I gasp. Daddy's face is covered in red bumps. I've never seen this happen before.

Daddy focuses on his face for some time before his face twists into a satisfied smirk.

"Perhaps it's time to make a personal visit to my favorite halfa."

Phasing back to his ghost half, he flew straight up out of the lab.


	2. Discovering Outside World

p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle let out a sigh. "Uhhh, I'm so bored. There's nothing to do here."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Dani had been watching the video footage of Daniel silently replay over and over as she waited in her father's chair. Giving her father's desk a kick, she watched the laboratory spin around her. She had been waiting for her father's return for hours, days? She had never spent so much time in the lab at once, but she didn't dare go back to her chamber until she knew Daniel, or what was left of Daniel, was taken care of. She turned her gaze back to the computer screen. /p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"The monitor was still full of video clips analyzing Daniel, comparing the data with Daniel's stats with the other ghost's. Finally the program decided it finished its calculations and moved on to new footage. She looked back away from her cousin's image./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""I don't get it." Her eyes flickered to the screen once again. "If you can fight like this, why did you destabilize."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"'And what does that mean about me?'/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Resting her head in her hands, she focused her gaze down at the keyboard. The manual controls stared back at her. Her father never used the manual controls. He had his computer program to do his bidding. Danielle noticed a volume switch sitting just in reach. She looked back up at the video clips silently playing on screen. "Hmm, what if I take this off mute?"/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"strong style="line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"'Crash! "Ahhh!" Bam!'/strong/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Putting her hand over her head, she requited, "Ah, okay not so loud…" Danielle turned the volume switch down until it was at an acceptably loud volume. "Whoa, much better."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle watched the screen as the video clip played. Vlad's analyzations running at the bottom of the screen./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"strong style="line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"On screen, Daniel had been blasted straight into a water tower. The soaked teenager looked up into the camera./strong/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""strong style="line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"Thought I forgot about you, Ghost," a woman's voice taunted./strong/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"'Who is that speaking,' Danielle thought. The voice seemed to be coming from whomever was controlling the camera./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"strong style="line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"A large plasma gun appeared on the right side of the screen pointed right at her cousin. Danielle watched as Daniel stood up and prepared himself to dodge the blast. A powerful purple ray blew towards her cousin, but he jumped out of the way right in time./strong/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""strong style="line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"Nope," her cousin retorted, "but I'll bet you forgot about that,' gesturing behind the camera. The ray had hit the water tower's legs causing it to fall right toward the screen./strong/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle blinked. "Wow, smooth."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"'I guess this is what Daddy means when he says to be aware of your surroundings,' Danielle thought, 'He not only dodged the blast, but caused the ray to hit the water tower.'/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"'Force the opponent into defense.'/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle wasn't fond of offensive moves. They took up too much energy and weakened her. It was easier to dodge and defend herself rather than full on attacks. If she could use her surroundings to attack for her, like her cousin just did, she could both save her energy and make her father happy./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"strong style="line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"Daniel's opponent wasn't on the defense very long. After escaping the falling tower, she righted herself and began chasing the ghost boy./strong/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Bummer," said Danielle. Daniel had missed the perfect advantage. Vlad would never had let Danielle get away with a screw up like that./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"strong style="line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"As Daniel sped away from the huntress behind him, he looped down, up, and around. As she tried to catch up to him, he looped back around to face her. Before she could right herself up, he hit what looked to Danielle like some sort of hoverboard, pushing her back toward the fallen water tower. Daniel followed her descent ready to finish what she started./strong/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle gave a cheer as she pumped her fists in the air. "Whoo, alright Daniel!" Watching the video analysis was proving to be far more entertaining with sound./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"strong style="line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"The huntress hit Danny with another blast of her plasma ray. /strongDanielle's eyes followed her cousin fall back./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"strong style="line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"He continued flying away from his opponent turning only to throw a plasma blast back at the huntress successfully blasting the gun out of her hands. /strongDanielle widened her eyes. This was going to end it for sure./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""strong style="line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"Look, I don't want to hurt you," Daniel declared. He raised his palms up to convey his goodwill./strong/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle furrowed her brows. He wasn't going to defeat her? If Daddy put him against that red...board ghost, he would want Daniel to finish the job. Why wasn't he following orders?/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"strong style="line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"The huntress retorted, "What makes you think you can?" She then pulled out another gun that morphed into a multi-barrel blaster. The gun charged up and blasted straight toward Daniel./strong/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"strong style="line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"Instead of running and dodging, Daniel did something Daniel had never seen before. Daniel changed his shape. He caused a hole to form right through his midsection, spreading the rest of his form out, and completely missed the locked blast./strong/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"'How did he do that,' Danielle thought. She was able to stretch her limbs some, but she has never been able to manipulate her form like that./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"strong style="line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"Resuming his regular ghost shape, Daniel released a plasma blast more powerful than Daniel had previously ever seen. He didn't even have to charge the blast./strong/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"strong style="line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"The plasma blast hit the red huntress back, with Daniel in close pursuit. They continued their fight until they came across a high school. A loud bell shocked the ghost boy from giving a final blow to the huntress. Shocked, Danielle's cousin looked down in surprise to see the school./strong/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"strong style="line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"The red huntress stopped and shouted, "Later for you, punk!"/strong/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""strong style="line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"I'll be waiting, creep!" Both ghosts turned away from each other and flew in their separate directions./strong/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Huh, hey what happened?" Danielle plopped down in a huff. "It was just getting good."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle watched as the huntress flew to behind some bleachers and retracted the suit around her. The computer reset the video to continue taking its different calculations, but not before Danielle saw the Red Huntress's face. "She's human?"/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Why did Daddy set Daniel up against a human girl," Danielle pondered, "even if she does have kick butt fighting gear."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"As more time passed, Daniel continued watching different clips. Daniel, or Danny as he referred to himself, sure was good at fighting, but he managed never to hurt the ghost or hunters he was up against. /p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"That was different. Daddy didn't seem to care about her opponents as long as she thoroughly defeated them. /p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"He also had a lot of cool moves. Daddy never showed her anything as advanced as the moves she saw Danny perform./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Watching Danny perform on the video for the third time, Danielle jumped up determined. Taking a few step back, Danielle centered herself from her father's equipment./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"She watched the video clips play until she saw Danny send a disk of plasmic energy toward the Red Huntress knocking her board down and forcing her to lose balance./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"'Now that's cool!'/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Glancing toward some old target dummies dumped on the other side of the lab, Danielle gave a few practice swipes of her wrist like she saw her cousin do on screen. A few plasma blasts came out but none were disked-shaped. Looking again at the monitor, Danielle tried again, this time going all out, aiming for the targets. Giving a deep breath she allowed her flow of energy follow her arm out toward the test dummies. The plasma blast left her arm, but caused her to fall back into the spinning chair and roll across the room./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""I don't think that was right," she sarcastically stated. The blast was obviously not disk shaped, and it shouldn't have ricocheted the way it did./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Ending up on the other side of the room, she turned towards the target dummies where her face dropped./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Oops..."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"The plasma blast not only hit the dummies, but her father's desk and monitor as well. When she swiped her arm, the blast formed a loose wave that covered a much larger target area than she had intended./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Oh no, what'll I do?"/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"She raced across the lab to try to fix the dummies and machines./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""How do I fix the computer?" She tried looking around for some cleaning supplies. "Maybe there's something in the upper area."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Turning invisible, she flew up, around the chamber and arena level, into the house above. Flying room to room, she looked for any cleaning supplies. She traveled through numerous levels, but couldn't find any sort of cleaning supplies anywhere./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""This isn't a house, it's a castle." The entire house was made up of gray brick and green furniture, hardly inviting. /p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle passed by a window, looking through the various rooms, but paused when she realize what what was outside. She turned back and slowly peered out the window to see the night sky filled with stars./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Wow, I've never seen those before." She knew about stars. The cloning process gave her a basic fundamental intelligence, but she had never seen stars with her own eyes. They were incredible, and there were so many./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Glancing around to see if the coast was clear, Danielle allowed herself to float the window. Now visible, she made her way up to the top of one of the castle towers. Then she laid back, looking at the night sky. The stars twinkled for their new audience, and Danielle felt herself relax./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Forgetting her worries, she searched the sky. "I wonder where the moon is tonight." Although the sky was clear, the moon was nowhere to be seen./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Resting her head on her arm, she continued gazing up at the night sky. "Maybe after Daddy fixes me and we become the ultimate ghosts, he'll let me visit a star," she mused, "I could travel to another planet even." The bright sky was mesmerizing. If only she could go now./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;".../p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle opened her eyes to see a bright blue sky bringing forth the new day. Danielle groaned and stretched. Looking around, she tried to remember why she was lounging on a roof./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"It wasn't like it was less comfortable than her cold metal chamber, but she really wasn't supposed to leave the holding room without her father's permission. If he caught her, she would be in serious trouble./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""I was looking for something..." she reminded herself./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Glancing up, she saw the moon high in the sky. "Oh, there it is." Satisfied she found what she was looking for, she studied the late satellite. After considering for a second, she speculated, "I thought the moon came out at night, not in the morning." /p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Her thoughts were interrupted by an unfamiliar sound outside the house's perimeter. Alarmed, Danielle stood up and looked over the edge of the tower wall. She could see everything. The grass, trees, the clouds, and... people. A group of kids were playing on her father's property just behind the tree line./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Ducking down, Danielle watched the kids play from over the edge of the tower wall. She had never seen any other people before. She felt a smile form on her lips./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"The children were laughing as they explored the wooded area. Music was playing from one kid's phone. Another child was mock dancing while his friend laughed./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Intrigued, Danielle continued watching the children until they were out of view once again. She could still hear the music playing and the squeals of the children as they traveled out of the wooded area./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Her fascination was interrupted when her father appeared coming out from above the tree line. He had a triumphant air about him. Danielle hadn't seen him look this happy in a long time./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"'He's back.'/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Turning back to her ghost form, Danielle quickly turned herself invisible and phased down into her chamber. Looking around the holding room, she gave a sigh. The chamber Daniel was assigned had been removed. Danielle slumped herself against the cold metal wall and observed her home. This dark room was terrible compared to the beauty and warmth of the outside world. Why wasn't she allowed to leave this place? She brooded and waited for her next orders./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt her chamber shift and the door creak closed. Steadying herself, she looked out the small window on her door to see her chamber was moving toward her father's laboratory./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle blinked, confused. 'Usually he just calls me when he needs me. Why did he call my chamber instead?'/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Arriving at the lab, Danielle phased her head out of the tube to see what was going on./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""My mission was a complete success. Not only am I free from that accursed ecto acne, but I have attained a new em style="line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"undamaged/em sample of Daniel's DNA."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle sighed. 'Is he seriously monologuing?'/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""When morphing the sample DNA with the analysis from Valerie's equipment, I should be able to finally form the perfect clone."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle cocked her head. Morphing hair DNA with his research was how she was made. Did he finally figure out why she was unstable?/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Computer, analyze Danielle for changes in stability." Danielle jerked her head back into the chamber./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"'Analyze me?'/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"The hologram appeared before her father. "Yes, dear," it answered. The computer began a full analysis on the ghost girl floating within her chamber. "Stability is at 72.3%."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Vlad nodded. "The highest stability of any clone so far. If I could only figure out how to finish the process." Moving to his computer monitor, he paused at the state of his equipment./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Danielle, come out here."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Hearing her father call her, Danielle morphed through her holding tube, head high, and floated over to her father waiting for instruction./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"He slowly turned back toward her. "How did my computer get damaged," he asked./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle's eyes widened in realization. That's why she ended up on the roof. "Oh, I, uh, wanted to practice my powers and get better for you," she stuttered, "but then my plasma blast lost focus, and... I hit a wider range than I intended."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"She watched Vlad sigh and bow his head./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""But I tried to clean everything up for you. I couldn't find anything to clean the blast off the computer..." Danielle tried to think of something to make it better. If only she hadn't gotten distracted. She could have fixed this before her father had gotten home./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""You are not to use your powers without my supervision. I need to have on record any change in your abilities," he stated./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle bowed her head and lost eye contact. "Of course, I'm sorry Daddy."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Taking a deep breath, Vlad relaxed and began making preparations. "Without a functioning equipment, I can not complete my research." Danielle felt her stomach plop. "We will simply have to move our research to my cabin further outside civilization."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"As Vlad made preparations to transfer his research to his second lab, Danielle was trying to wrap her mind around the fact they were leaving this dreary place for a quaint little cabin secluded in the woods./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""We will be on our way within the hour."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;".../p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Gasping, Danielle fell to her knees. Vlad had transported her to the cabin they were to resume his experiments. Danielle could feel a tingling running up and down her body. Direct transporting took up a lot of energy, even if she was only along for the ride./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle attempted to catch her breath as her father hovered purposefully around the lab. Pressing a large red power button, he allowed the laboratory to power up before calling the computer. "Computer, receive all recent data from the main database."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle watched the same hologram from home appear. The blue ecto suit and red goggles hid the woman's face from Danielle's view. She had seen the hologram with and without the goggles on. Her design had short auburn hair and lavender eyes. Danielle always had liked the hologram. /p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Yes, darling. The data will be uploaded at once."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle looked around her new home. It wasn't a castle, but that was fine with her. She liked the cabin-like home better than the basement of that lonely manor./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"She noticed her father watching her curiously. Once she straightened up and returned his gaze, he instructed, "Danielle, I need you to go into the chamber tube in the corner there." Her eyes left his to glance over at the accursed object. "Once the data is uploaded, I will test your ecto level."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle cocked her head. "My ecto level?"/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Yes, it is imperative I check your ecto level before we begin with my latest attempt to perfect you."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Oh, o-okay." She obeyed and hovered into the chamber waiting in the corner of the laboratory. She nervously waited for the results of her ecto plasmic level. She didn't remember being tested on this before, but maybe it was the same as testing for her stability. Even though Vlad had checked her stability only an hour ago./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Finally, Vlad called the computer program to scan Danielle's chamber./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Ecto level is at a 4. Stability is at 48%."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle's eyes widened. She had been at 70% only an hour ago. How did she lose that much energy?/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Interesting, Daniel has been tested to have an entity of scale 7 ectoplasmic power. It seems Danielle's power has been compromised during the cloning process. Her power should potentially match Daniel's. Perhaps by the faulty DNA sample..."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Pulling out a black hair from his pocket, Vlad put the hair into the computer to be analyzed. "Begin analysis." he commanded./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Analyzation has begun," the hologram reported./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Prepare a new tube," Vlad replied, smirking to himself./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"As the cloning process began, Vlad busied himself checking over every calculation. Danielle watched her father work. Unsure whether she was allowed to leave the chamber, she hovered to right outside the open doors. /p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""So...Daddy," Danielle began. She didn't want her father to send her away from the lab again, but she desperately wanted to know what he had discovered when he disappeared yesterday. "Did you find out how to fix me now?"/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Vlad looked over to where Danielle was floating just outside the chamber he put her in before. Considering a moment, Vlad huffed, "I believe so. I have been collecting DNA samples based on research collected by an employee of mine, so to speak. When combined with physical DNA samples such as hair, the process seems to be far more stable. I believe with a sample of DNA during the morphing process, the DNA stability will be far more powerful than ever before."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle listened as her father's speech grew more and more grandiose in volume and dramatics. Once he began his blabbering about the biological science, she stopped listening. All she wanted to know is he knew how to stabilize her, and he seemed to have a pretty good idea. He just needed this morph DNA. Then he can make the perfect clone./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle absentmindedly nodded to her father as needed as she allowed her mind to wander. Once she was stabilized, she could perfect her powers out in the wooded area around her new home without fear of damaging her father's equipment again. She didn't want to have to move away again. She didn't like that transportation power her father used to get them here. She was feeling far more exhausted after that experience. Even if it was much nicer here than the dark basement, Danielle wasn't sure she'd want to make the trip again./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""It sure would be nice to fly though," Danielle mused. For a second she was afraid her father would question her statement, but he was far too deep in his own thoughts and experimentations./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Not sure what to do and out of excess energy, Danielle leaned against one of the desks and watched her father as he continued his experiment./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"strong style="line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"A/N: For anyone interested in visually seeing the fight scene Danielle watched on screen. I took it from Season 1 episode 18: Life Lessons./strong/p 


	3. Dani Runs

p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle moved another branch out of her face and pushed through. The trees and brush were growing thicker around her as she traveled deeper into the woods away from the cabin. She paused a moment only to glare back at her father's current dwelling. Then, she continued tramping her way through the woods away from her father's cabin. Although she wasn't allowed to leave the lab, Vlad wouldn't notice her disappearance. He was far too concerned with perfecting his Danny clone. It would be several days until he finished the cloning process./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle was tired of being ignored and was determined to show her father she could help him with his research, if given the chance. Danny was her only hope of regaining her father from his work./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Once I get the mid-morph DNA, Daddy will finally fix me, and we'll be a happy family," Danielle told herself stubbornly, determined to get her father back./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"It was getting harder to maneuver through the tangled forest bed. The trees covered the sky. Bushes of thorns cut off any form of straight path. The air around her buzzed with unknown sounds, but the young girl let her frustration and stubbornness fuel her through the unknown forest, not allowing her to fear the new world around her./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"After walking several miles, Danielle paused to consider her direction. She had no idea where Danny's town was. Should she keep going, or... Her father had warned her in her early stages of training to plan ahead./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"'You must plan every step. Every move is a piece of the puzzle to be completed. Strategy and proper planning, Danielle. Think it through.'/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"The last week, he became much more interested in her power abilities, rather than her strategy. Although, he did become annoyed when she bantered with her opponents rather than 'focusing'. /p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle considered. 'How to find Danny...'/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Then she remembered. In the video clips, she saw Amity Park written on the water tower. "All I have to do is find this park, and I'll find Danny," she told herself. She looked around her for any clue to which way she should go. Bark and brush dominated her vision. As a half ghost her vision was far superior to other humans, but she couldn't see anything with trees in the way./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle huffed. 'How am I supposed to find the park without a map or something?' Danielle considered flying above the tree line, but she felt uncomfortable flying. Vlad discouraged any flying around the lab. She was to stay in her compartment, in the ring, or where the computer could monitor her progress. She was to stay put./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Seeing no other alternative, Danielle continued pressing forward. She would end up somewhere eventually, hopefully sooner than later./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;".../p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"em style="line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;""This may be my most successful attempt yet," Vlad laughed maniacally. Bright flashes of light accompanied Vlad's success. "With DNA of both ghost and human, the halfa will be complete." /em/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"em style="line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"Danielle had watched her father for the last several hours waiting for his work to be complete. She was rather afraid and weary. The previous Daniel clone he had made turned to goo, but her father was enthusiastic he would succeed this time. She wanted to believe him, but she had a sick feeling in her stomach. She didn't want another cousin to 'die.' /em/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"em style="line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;""Daddy, didn't you say you needed Danny's morph DNA?" /em/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"em style="line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"Without turning around Vlad answered, "Daniel's mid-morph DNA is what I need to complete my work. The DNA itself is the bridge guiding the crossing from boy to ghost."/em/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"em style="line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"Trusting her father, she pushed down her doubts. He kenw what he was doing. She would feel better if he had the proper methods to get the experiment completed. Danielle slumped against the wall, before she brightened./em/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"em style="line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;""Can I help?" she offered, cautiously. Danielle wasn't too keen on messing with the ectoplasmic goo, but if she could quicken the process.../em/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"em style="line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"Vlad turned to the girl, frowning at her, brows furrowing./em/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"em style="line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;""I don't need your help."/em/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"em style="line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"Danielle blinked in surprise at the venom in his voice./em/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"em style="line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;""Why would I want help from a failure?"/em/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"em style="line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"Danielle felt her heart stop. This couldn't be happening. Her father loved her and wanted to help her./em/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"em style="line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"Vlad's form began growing as his words echoed around Danielle./em/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"em style="line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;""This is supposed to be natural."/em/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"em style="line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;""You haven't reached your limits."/em/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"em style="line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"Danielle tried to block his words by holding her arms in front of her face, but the sting didn't stop. His words echoed through her mind. Then she heard it./em/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"em style="line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;""You are a mistake."/em/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"em style="line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"Vlad continued growing larger and more intimidating before the broken hearted girl. Danielle attempted to flee, but his overwhelming shadow engulfed her./em/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;".../p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle felt herself leap off from her perch. /p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"The breath was knocked out of her as she hit the hard ground. She looked up at the tree she had only seconds before been resting in. Sitting up, she gasped for air and pulled her legs in and rocked herself, trying to calm down./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"'It was just a dream...It was a dream..Only a dream.' Despite her attempts, she could feel tears escaping from her eyes. She could see the long shadows building up around her as the sun left the sky./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Standing up, Danielle pushed herself away from the earth. It had no comfort or sympathy for her pain. Danielle felt her rings transform her while still rising in the air. Danielle removed herself from the cursed earth below and above the tree line previously closing her in. /p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Up in the air, she could float on the breeze. Rather than running away, she slow downed and enjoyed the view along the horizon. Twilight filled the sky with amazing colors and darkened the forest left behind./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Within the forest, her improved vision showed her the little creatures fulfilling their instinctual duties to survive. Squirrels ran tree to tree avoiding predators. Little rabbits scampered into their holes. Owls began peaking out from their homes ready to begin the night hunt. Danielle smiled at the life below her. Before in the forest, she was blind to all the activity surrounding her. Now she could see everything. She had never enjoyed flying before. Besides being frowned upon, she could never take off right or make good speed in the training room. There were no breezes to carry her or space to really stretch out./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle let herself drop several yards before teasing the wind, spinning and spiraling. "Maybe I'm finally getting the natural part of being a ghost," she told herself./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Furrowing her brows, she thought about the dream that caused her to escape to the air rather than clump through the dark forrest below. Sighing, she straightened out her flight path./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Just because Daddy doesn't want my help with his project doesn't mean he doesn't love me." She looked forward to the vanished sun and followed its path toward the horizon. "I am going to show him just what I can do. I know I can do it."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle continued flying to the set sun. She watched the vibrant colors fade into night and stars take their place. "All I have to do is get the mid morph DNA. Then Daddy will see how much help I can be."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle paused when she noticed a light coming slightly from her right side. The night had revealed to her a town a few miles away. Smiling, Danielle flew toward the light of the town. She was finally going to prove her worth to her father. All she had to do was find her cousin./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;".../p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle landed in a park outside a school just outside the woods Danielle had been flying over. Danielle hovered over the playground before landing on the jungle gym. Taking a deep breathe Dani followed the bridge to the far side of the structure, turning back to her human form. /p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Laying down across the slide, Danielle watched the night sky and sighed. "I've never used my powers for such a long time before," she said excitedly. She had always been confined to her quarters when not under observation. It was exciting to be allowed to move without burden. /p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Exhausted, she let the stars guard her and began to drift off. The night was peaceful and she felt safe despite her unknown circumstances. Tomorrow she would bring her cousin to her father and obtain the mid-morph DNA. /p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"She could hear something crunching through the woods she recently abandoned, beyond the playground barrier. /p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"span style="line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; background-color: initial;""Come on. Hurry up!"/span/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"span style="line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; background-color: initial;"Alarmed, Dani sat up and listened./span/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""I'm tired. I don't want to go tonight." /p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Too bad. We're almost there."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle cocked her head. Who was traveling in the woods in the middle of the night? Night is supposed to be a time for recharging. The voices sounded pretty young./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Jumping off the slide, she silently followed the noise until she found the sources sitting in the middle of a clearing, just inside the woods. A young boy and girl roughly about her age. Well, her biological age anyway./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Cautious but curious, she watched them set up some blankets. They must have wanted to camp out. The girl was digging through a backpack as the boy wandered around with a flashlight. She had never met any other children, or any humans for that matter, before. Thinking back to the morning before, she remembered the teens who trespassed into her father's property the day before. She watched the children set up and made her decision. Deeming them safe, she ventured out from her hiding spot. /p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Hey," Danielle greeted, "who are you?"/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"The two jumped and turned to face the unexpected voice. The boy dropped his flashlight and scrambled down to retrieve it. The girl seemed alarmed at first before crossing her arms./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Who's asking?" asked the girl suspiciously./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Oh, it's me." Danielle answered innocently./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Uh huh, and what are you doing out here," she continued./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""I thought I heard someone," Danielle shrugged, "and I decided to investigate."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"The night didn't provide much light for the children to observe each other, but Danielle's vision was excellent even in the dark. She considered the girl before her. The young girl had brunette hair pulled down into two pigtails. She had on a blue hoodie and red shorts. She seemed unimpressed by Danielle, but Danielle didn't allow that to intimidate her./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"A light suddenly blinded her. "So what's your name," the boy asked timidly. Danielle turned her attention to him, blocking the bright light with her arm before she got used to it./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""And what are you doing here," the girl insisted./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Danielle," she answered. "I'm going to visit my cousin in Amity Park."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Oh, I have a cousin who lives there," the boy proclaimed, coming closer to see the strange girl./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Really," Danielle asked./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"'Maybe he can help me find Danny!'/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"The boy smiled. "Yeah, he's my second cousin, once removed," he said looking smug./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle cocked her head. "What's removed?"/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Huh," he asked./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""You said your cousin was removed. What does that mean?"/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"The boy looked back at her, apologetically. "I don't know," he shrugged. "I heard my mom say it, once."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"The girl watched her companion from the corner of her eye. She seemed to be considering, but finally sighed and stepped forward. "I think it means someone died on that family line… or something," she added in on the conversation./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Like Daniel? Danielle wondered. /p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle smiled in greeting. At least the girl was going to be more friendly now./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"The boy interrupted, "Have you ever been to the cave before?"/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle looked at him confused. "What cave?"/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"The girl rested her hands in her blue hoodie. "There's a cave up this mountain we like to hang out in." Offering a smile, she continued, "Want to come hang with us?"/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Sure," Danielle beamed./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Then you can help us pack up," the girl smirked./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle helped the younger boy pack up the blankets and drinks. The boy was shorter than she was but probably only slightly younger than herself and that other girl. He had thick brunette hair, just like the girl, that fell over his eyes poking out from under a red beanie. The boy glanced up to meet her gaze. Danielle turned her head embarrassed for being caught staring./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""So do you usually go out in the middle of the night and hang out?" she asked, trying to distract him./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Sometimes... I come during the summer for a couple weeks to visit Max," he answered gesturing towards the girl peeked past the tree line. Danielle finished rolling her blanket and followed Max and the boy just outside the tree line./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""My names Tim, by the way," Tim said offering his hand to Danielle. Danielle smiled taking his hand as a sign of friendship. "What was yours again?" Tim asked./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Danielle," she offered./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Tim smiled. "Alright Danielle, wait till you see the cave. We stay there a lot to keep away from my aunt."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Max joined them. "Well, my mother is not the boss of us out here. We can do whatever we want to."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle nodded in understanding. /p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Max and Tim lead Danielle away from the park deeper into the forest. Slowly the elevation became steeper and harder to climb. The others didn't seem to have too much trouble, but Danille was thankful she wasn't carrying any of the packs. Finally, they came to a small opening in a cliff. Danielle watched her two new friends climb inside the small opening with their gear. After they both made it in, Danielle followed./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"She had to crawl in on her elbows. The opening to the cave was narrow, but after a few feet, the cave widened, and she could stand up. Light was let in through cracks and holes in the rooftop. The cave was dim but allowed the three preteens to maneuver around the cave with little problem. Danielle followed Tim over by a cooler as he set the blankets down./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Throughout the small cave were a couple chairs, a dirty, old blanket, and a cooler, and completely littered with trash wrappers. Max walked over to where the chairs sat of to the side of the cave and put the radio she had been carrying in her pack between the chairs on a large rock centered on the cave floor./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"The radio turned on to static. Danielle grimaced. Max then squatted down to mess with the stations. Danielle could hear as Max passed various stations as she tried to find the best one. She didn't get very far before she was interrupted by Tim./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Wait, I got the new one!"/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Max turned around on her toes and gave her cousin a huge smile. "NO WAY!"/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""You bet!"/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle snuck up behind Tim and saw what he was holding out to Max. It was a small flat plastic box of some sort. Tim handed the plastic box over to Max. Max studied the cover before opening it. "How did you get this?"/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Pre-order. I got grandma to help me last month."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Max opening the box and produced a disk which she inserted into the radio's top. Danielle was surprised to now find clear music coming out of the radio. This music was much better than anything being played by the radio before./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""What is that," asked Danielle, confused by the disk./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Her two friends, who had begun dancing with the music, stopped and turned to her in shock./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""You've never heard of Dumpty Humpty," Tim asked./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle blinked. "Uh…"/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Max's eyes changed from shock to gleaming. Max took Danielle's arm and led her towards the chairs. "Just wait. These guys rock!"/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle allowed Max to sit her down by the radio in one of the chairs. "Okay, now close your eyes," she said waiting for Danielle to obey, "and feel the music."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle did as she was told. She closed her eyes and listened. She found she really did enjoy the music, but she was distracted. What were the other two were doing while she was 'feeling' the music. Were they watching her and waiting for a reaction? She peeked one eye open to find Max was sitting in the chair opposite of her and was nodding her head to the rhythm, allowing her pig hails to jump around. Danielle smirked at the show of her hair dancing with the music. Glancing over with her other eye, Danielle could see Tim picking food out of the cooler. He was nodding his head with the music too./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle allowed her eyes to close and relax again. After considering, she allowed her head to fall forward and nod with the beat. After a few tries, Danielle could feel the natural flow of the song pass through her body./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"After the song began fading out, Max opened her eyes and looked across to Danielle with a smile on her lips. "What'd ya think?"/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle opened her eyes and looked Max straight in the eye. "They rocked."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Yeah they do," Tim fist pumped./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Max grinned and got up out of her chair, joining Tim by the ice box. She pulled a can out of the box. Looking Daniel's direction, she offered, "Wanna soda?"/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""umm..s-sure." Danielle wasn't completely sure what a soda was, but she didn't want to be left out. She knew it was some kind of beverage, but she had never had one before in the lab. She only was allowed water, and most of her nourishment was fed to her through her father's tubes. She never liked the needles the food traveled through, but it was necessary to monitor her progress./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Max didn't seem to notice her uncertainty. "We have Orange, Grape, and Coke."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle considered her options as she joined her new found friends by the cooler. Reaching in, she grabbed an orange can. She was confused by the contraption, until she watched Max open her can by using the tab to push through the top, allowing the beverage to pour out. /p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle concentrated and tried opening her can, but was surprised when she broke the tab right off. Danielle blinked at the tab in her hand. Glancing up, she realized neither Max nor Tim saw her blunder./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Turning around so she was facing away from her new friends, she charged a small ray on her index finger and burned the aluminum forcing a hole through the top. The burn was obvious to Danielle, but maybe Max and Tim wouldn't be able to see it in the dark light of the cave./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle took a sip of her Orange Soda. She could feel her eyes widen in shock. Her tongue seemed to be swimming in flavor. She had never tasted anything so sweet before. After swallowing, Danielle tried another sip. This time she was ready for the immense flavor. She giggled as the bubbled swished down her throat./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"She noticed Tim and Max looking at her curiously. Reddening Danielle explained, "I've never had this before."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Orange soda?" Max asked./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Do you like it?" Tim asked./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle nodded to both questions. If this was what was waiting outside the walls of the lab, she was ready to do anything to finish her father's work. Then she could go outside whenever she felt like it. Danielle began considering what she needed to do next to find her cousin./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"She needed to find that park first. Maybe Max and Tim would help her if she asked. If she could find a computer she could ask it to find the park for her. The Maddie hologram always only answered to her father, but if Max had one at her house, she could get directions no problem./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle was so focused in her thoughts, she didn't hear her companions trying to get her attention./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Dani!" Max exclaimed./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Huh?" she asked, snapped back out of her thoughts. She looked at Max, but Max looked down at Tim. Danielle followed her gaze./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""I said, have you tried grape?"/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle blinked at the boy before shaking her head./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Here you go, Dani," Tim said smiling./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle accepted the soda from the boy. "My name's Danielle," she corrected uncertainly./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""What, don't want a nickname?" Max accused playfully./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle paused and cocked her head./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Yeah, my real name's Timothy. That's what adults call me," Tim explained. "Only my friends call me Tim."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle smiled at the implication and carefully opened her soda, successfully keeping the tab intact this time. "Only my friends," Danielle agreed quietly./p 


	4. Finding Danny

Danielle woke up with the familiar cold ground beneath her. She rolled her knees closer to her body and enjoyed the heat grabbed around her.

Her brows furrowed slightly as she realized her situation. She had never felt so warm waking up in her chamber before. Something was wrong. Now fully awake, she slowly peeked an eye open to access the situation.

Before she could determine her wearabouts, something grabbed her shoulder and shook her.

"Dani, we've got to go. We're late!"

Danielle flipped away from her sleeping spot and landed on her feet a few feet away. The girl in front of her looked shocked and stared wide eyed.

A boy ran up behind the girl. "Dani, come on."

Danielle blinked and recalled the two children before her. "What's going on?"

Max blinked before rushing away again. "We've got to get home," the girl answered as she ran back towards the entrance of the cave. "We overslept. Tim and I need to get back to the house now." Max crawled out the entrance. "Come on Tim!"

"Let's go Dani!" Tim grabbed Danielle's arm and pulled her out of the cave.

Tim lowered down to crawl out of the cave entrance as Dani was pulled right into him, pushing them both into the wall.

Groaning, Tim looked back at Dani, now flat on her back. Tim took Dani's hand once again. "Come on. Let's go!"

As soon as Tim left the cave, he fell in line behind his cousin, who had been impatiently waiting. Danielle followed Max and Tim through the woods, past the park where they first met, until they came across a large house. Dani used her arms to rest on her knees as she gasped for much needed air. She had never ran so long before. She hadn't even a chance to catch her breath before she heard someone jumping through to the other side of the bush they were crouching behind. Dani looked up to see Max sneak-running across the yard toward a large garden outside the house.

Once Max made it past the garden fencing, she noticed Tim wasn't following. Looking back to the woods, she shot him a panicked look. Taking the hint, Tim pulled Dani from the bush hiding them from the view of the house. Although Dani resisted running again, Tim insisted.

"Come on Dani! We can't let them see us come in."

Sighing, Dani allowed herself to be half dragged to the house by the smaller boy toward his cousin waiting under the trellis bordering the house.

…

Max peeked around the corner watching for any adults. If Tim didn't hurry up, they were going to be caught. That meant no more night outings. Tim knew how much the cave meant to Max. It was her fortress. Night time was the only occasion she got a chance to be herself. Her mother may not like the idea of Max being a 'tomboy,' but it wasn't going to stop Max from having fun.

Tim would only be around a couple more weeks. She tried to be patient with him. She knew Tim liked Dani, even if she wore really weird clothes. Although, who was Max to judge. Mother thought her street clothes were dreadful, and Max thought the same of the gowns her mother made her wear. A black jumpsuit may be unordinary, but Dani was cool and Tim liked her. That was good enough for Max. They could meet up with her later, as long as they made it inside in time. She could hear her cousin running up behind her. Turning she was surprised to see not only her cousin, but Dani as well.

"Tim," Max pleaded, "What's she doing here?" There wasn't time to hide Dani anywhere. It's not like she could turn invisible. Nanny would see her for sure.

Tim looked up at his cousin. "We can't just leave her alone."

Max huffed at her cousin's giant eyes pleading from under his messy brown bangs. Max turned away from her cousin's gaze to Dani's uncertain one. Tim certainly knew how to get what he wanted. He had to. He was sent house to house having to deal with numerous and weird relatives. It was true, Dani was just passing through, and they promised to help find her cousin in Amity Park.

"Fine, just come on."

Max began climbing the trellis avoiding the winding vines and flowers. The trellis was pretty strong and was covered with years' worth of vines winding through to the house. Max had the trip down to an art. For a long time, she gave up her nightly pleasure when Tim visited. She finally showed Tim her secret once she felt he was old enough. Max listened for Tim below her, but heard Dani and Tim talking.

"This is your house?"

"Yeah, it's alright."

Max let her breath exahle through her nose. That boy needed to realize what was at stake here. He may only be ten, but he was smart enough to see sense. Max reached the window and pulled herself in. She poked her head out the window to encourage her cousin to get in the house.

"Come on Tim, we can't let them see us."

Tim waved up at her before beginning his own ascension up the trellis.

"Who are you hiding from," Dani asked.

"Our nanny. If she catches us out without permission, we'll be grounded for like forever," Tim said allowing his left arm to spread out away from his right, where he was hanging off the trellis. "Come up the vine, Dani."

Dani looked past Tim to where Max was waiting. "All the way up to the window?"

"We do it all the time." Tim was about half way to the second story window.

"Be careful, Tim!" Max looked back nervously at her bedroom door. Luckily for her, Nanny was still making breakfast. As soon as she was done she would be up telling Max what to do.

"It'll be okay, Dani," Tim called watching as Dani hesitantly stepped up on the trellis.

"Tim, it's tricky. Watch what you're-"

Max could see Tim's misstep before he even realized what happened. Why didn't he watch where he was stepping? She didn't have time to react before he was falling down toward the garden bed.

Max tensed in horror as Tim's eyes went wide. A flash of white caused Max to blink before something caught Tim in midair. Max nearly fell herself but caught herself before plummeting out the window. Before her own eyes, a snow white haired girl had caught her cousin. She was wearing a familiar black jump suit.

Tim looked straight into the girl's bright green eyes as she smiled back. "Dani?"

The girl raised her eyebrow. "Tim."

"Maxine?" Max jumped back from the window, successfully bumping her head on the window sill in the process. Her nanny was standing at the door ticking her tongue before continuing her fussing. "Maxine, a young lady should not be hanging from a window of all places." The nanny made her way toward the window in order to close it.

Max stole a glance at the two floating outside before jumping in front of her nanny to close the window and blinds. She turned back to see a rather suspicious glare.

'Oh boy…'

…

"Dani?"

Danielle watched the boy in her arms. Her father had warned her not to let anyone to let her know she was half ghost until they revealed themselves as father and daughter to all the world. She didn't even think about what she was doing until he was already in her arms. Too late now.

"Tim," Dani answered confirming his accusation.

Tim continued staring into her eyes with wonder and fear on his face. The sound of a window closing brought him to his senses. Dani was surprised to see that Max had shut them out. Dani looked to Tim. They needed to get in the house, right?

Tim was staring wide eyed at her face.

"That. Was. Awesome!" Tim threw his arms up in a double fist pump. Dani adjusted her grip to keep from dropping the excited boy. He turned to her wide eyed. "Do you have super powers?"

"I guess, kinda."

"Wow." Tim began looking in all directions. Although she was stronger than regular humans, she would have to set him down quickly if she kept squirming like that.

Dani floated over towards the window, but Max had also closed the curtains not allowing Dani to see inside. Dani was about to turn intangible until she heard Tim stop her. "Go around to my window."

Dani stopped and looked down at her companion. "What?"

"It's right around the corner." Tim stretched towards the ride side of the house. "We can get in there."

"Oh, okay." She followed Tim's instructions until they made it to the window he had spoken of. Dani opened the window and let Tim climb inside before floating in herself. As soon as Tim made it inside his room, he spun around to get a better look at Dani. Feeling self-conscious, Dani turned back into her human half. Tim's eyes lit up further, as well as his smile. Just then they heard a Tim's door open.

A plump older woman followed by Max entered the room. The women paused in surprise before turning back to her charge. "Miss Maxine, why is there a young lady in Master Timothy's bedroom?" she questioned.

Max was just as surprised as her nanny to see the two in the room. She had been trying to keep Nanny away from her room so Tim could sneak back in. She didn't expect the two to have made their way to the room so quickly.

While Max stood blinking at the girl, Tim interrupted, bouncing over to the older woman. "We invited her for a sleepover Nanny."

Nanny pursed her lip at the young boy, before conceding. "I wish you would have warned me, Master Timothy. I will have to let the cooks know to prepare another plate for breakfast." Nanny waited expectantly for Tim's response.

Tim stopped bouncing under her strict gaze and, not really sure what to do, tried, "I'm sorry."

Nanny continued waiting. Tim squirmed and look to his cousin for help. She gave a 'continue' gesture with her hand.

"For my…thoughtlessness?"

Nanny nodded satisfied. "I should think so. I would not want this poor young lady to think we, in the Clout Residence, do not treat our guests with dignity."

Max, reviving from her stupor, joined in. "Well, Nanny, we should be getting ready. Lots to do and all." Max attempted to lead Nanny out of the room so the three could talk.

"Yes indeed. Give the girl back her clothes, and put something decent on. Master Tim, please follow me for your bathing."

Tim's face instantly turned red. Hiding his face from Dani, he followed the nanny out into the hallway. Sighing, Max glanced over to Dani. Then, she signaled for Dani to follow her the opposite way to her bedroom.

Danielle nodded and followed her friend into the hallway. She stopped to look over the stairway gate. The bottom floor was gorgeous. The furniture arrangement looked perfect. Art and pictures were mounted around the room. Danielle had never been in such an inviting looking home before. The manor was stone and the cabin was full of computers. The home she found herself in now made her heart flutter.

Smiling, Dani ran to see Max's room. Upon entering, she was immediately attacked by a wad of clothing.

"Here Dani." Max was already stripped and pulling out a dress from her closet across the room. "Now that Nanny thinks they're yours, you might as well keep them. Nanny's gonna throw them out anyway, if you don't."

"I have my hazmat suit," Dani interjected.

Max scoffed. "Yeah stylish, but you need some hang out clothes too."

Dani phased into the blue hoodie and red shorts Max had previously been wearing. Her hazmat suit disappeared under the hoodie and revealed her hands and legs showing through the clothes now that her gloves and pants had disappeared. She looked into the mirror and noted Tim's beanie on her head as well. She had forgotten he had given it to her last night after he had brushed her and thought she was cold. The hat actually matched Max's shorts perfectly.

Pleased, Danielle turned back to her friend. "How do I look?"

Max abandoned her battle with her zipper to see the ensemble on the ghost girl. After some consideration she replied. "Normal."

Danielle considered her answer. Not sure what to say, she tried, "You look good in that dress." It wasn't super fancy or anything, a simple sundress, but it suited her nicely.

Max finished unbraiding her pigtails. "I hate dresses. I'd rather go hiking any day." Looking in the mirror, she picked up her brush and began rapidly brushing away any foreign objects and tangles.

Dani half smiled. Dani could see how comfortable Max felt in the woods the previous night. The girl before her now looked completely different. She didn't look... happy.

Max watched herself carefully in the mirror, before slowing her brushing. "So uh, about earlier…" Max started.

Dani met her gaze, waiting for her to continue.

"What did you do, exactly?"

Danielle blinked. "What do you mean?"

"You know.. when Tim fell."

Dani reddened in realization. "Oh, I just went up and caught him."

Max put the brush down and looked at her hard in the eye. "How?"

Dani tried to think how to explain herself, but finally Dani decided just to show her.

Dani felt the white rings change her to her ghost half. She looked up to see Max looking at her in amazement. "What are you?"

"I'm… a halfa."

"A whata?"

"Well," Dani considered. Tim called her a superhero, but she didn't think of herself like that. On the other hand, her cousin fought evil ghosts, and she was trained to fight ghosts. "I'm part ghost, part human."

Max continued analyzing her. Dani met her stare uncertainly. She didn't realize this would be so hard for humans to get.

Max finally spoke her mind. "Your outfit stayed the same."

Dani looked down to see her hazmat suit instead of the recently changed outfit Max had provided. "Oh yeah, weird. Let me see…" Dani changed back to her human half and sure enough her clothes changed with her.

Max looked impressed. "Wow. Cool."

The children were interrupted by a knock on the door. "Girls, breakfast is ready downstairs."

Max let out her breath and smiled at the ghost girl. "Help me with my zipper?"

Dani grinned and helped her friend. Once the evil contraption was taken care of, they both made their way down the stairs to the dining area.

Breakfast proved to be the best thing Danielle had ever experienced. They didn't serve any sodas like last night, but she never knew so many varieties of flavors before. As Danielle ate, Nanny was droning on about the schedule for the day to Master Timothy and Miss Maxine. "We have a busy busy schedule today. I'm sure you won't fall asleep during your parent's luncheon today, Miss." The nanny turned toward the surprise guest. "I'll send you home in the car after breakfast, my dear."

Dani blinked at the women. She couldn't go home yet. She had to find Danny and get him to give her some of his mid morph DNA. She couldn't go back home if she failed.

Tim jumped from his seat before Dani could answer "Can't she stay for a little while longer Nanny." Dani looked over at her friend in appreciation. "She lives all the way in Amity Park, but it's pretty far away."

"Of course, I will arrange transportation. I shall call your parents to let them know you will be on the way. Now if you're finished with your breakfast, you may gather your things and say your goodbyes."

Tim and Max both stood up and Danielle followed suit. Exiting the dining hall, they made their way back up the stairs. Dani glanced around the house, amazed with the vast size and number of rooms. Dani looked at her only two friends. After Dani completed her mission, her father would have to let her visit again. After all if she brought the sample he would trust her to be on her own for a while at least.

At the top of the stairway, Max stopped and turned to her with fighting spirit. "Okay, listen up Dani. Nanny will need your cousin's address to get you to Amity Park. The driver won't drop you off just anywhere."

Danielle tried to think. "I don't know where Danny lives. I just know it's near Amity Park."

Tim considered. "It's not in Wisconsin… Ohio, I think."

"So, you don't know either, Tim?" Max inquired.

"No, I've stayed there before with my cousin, but only for a few months. Why don't you look it up on the computer?"

Max considered and leaned over the railway. Giving a frown, she rejoined the party. "No good. Nanny is in there now."

Dani leaned against the wall. "So what now?"

Max looked up towards Dani, then looked back into the office where Nanny was online. Jumping back up the stairs, Dani could see a gleam in Max's eye.

"I've got it!"

Tim smirked expectantly. One thing about Max, she was a prankster. Tim had spent a lot of time with Max pranking their nanny. The littlest things like moving a stack of cans, leaving messages on the mirror, or hiding things proved Nanny was indeed superstitious.

Dani looked at the two curiously. Whatever was about to happen was obviously going to be fun.

Max turned to Tim with a mischievous smirk. "Tim, get the soap bar from the bathroom," she ordered.

Tim immediately ran down the hallway to retrieve the said item.

Next Max turned her attention to Dani. "Since you're a ghost, you can turn invisible, right?"

Dani smiled. "Oh yeah, that's an easy one." She allowed her form to disappear, floated over Max, and then tapped her shoulder.

Max jumped and spun around only to see Dani upside down behind her.

"Boo," Dani said playfully.

"You can do that while you're still human?"

"Yeah. I always have access to my powers, but they are more powerful and natural in my ghost form." Dani floated back down to the floor and allowed gravity take over once again. "It's easier to do regular stuff in my human form and ghost stuff in my ghost form, but I can still do the basics while in the opposite form."

Tim ran up behind Max, excited. "How long have you had your powers?" Tim asked, a bar of soap in hand.

Max and Dani turned to him in greeting. Max took the soap and smiled evilly.

"Well… three weeks, I think." Dani had lost track since she had been created. Her father hadn't marked it as a special date or anything. She would have to ask about her actual birthday once she returned.

Before Tim could continue asking questions, Max interrupted by giving Dani the soap and leading her back down the stairway. Peeking into the computer room, Max pointed out the computer their Nanny was using. Dani turned her head, unsure what to do.

"All you have to do is use the soap to draw on the screen. Nanny will freak out. Then the computer room will be all ours. She won't be back for a while."

"Turn superhero, Dani!" Tim encouraged.

Dani nodded and took a step back from the door. Dani called the rings to turn her to her ghost form. Turning invisible, she floated into the computer room. 'What am I supposed to draw?' Dani wondered.

Nanny was inches away from the screen.

'Her eyesight must be terrible' Dani thought.

In order to get to the computer screen, Dani would need to phase through Nanny's body. As she tried to make marks on the screen, she realized she couldn't draw while the soap was intangible. Dani thought about trying to make only the soap tangible, but she wasn't sure she could manipulate it well enough to successfully make the soap only partially intangible. If the any of the soap became tangible while still inside Nanny... Dani didn't want to hurt the older lady.

Dani floated up and tried from a different angle. The computer screen was pretty small, and the nanny was far too close to the screen. 'No wonder she's blind.' Dani thought.

Dani considered what to do. She couldn't mark the screen, she didn't want to hurt anybody, but she needed the computer. She could move Nanny from her spot in front of the computer, but Dani wasn't completely sure she could pick up the much larger women. She was stronger than an ordinary human, but she never tested her physical abilities before. Her father was much more interested in the power of her ghost abilities.

Turning away Dani saw the windows with the shades down. If Dani could get Nanny away from the computer, then Dani could mark it up. She floated over to the main window right behind Nanny, and pulled the shades up.

"Ahh." Nanny gave a short shriek. Looking behind her, Nanny saw the window open revealing the sun's glare on the computer screen. Rather than close the shades, Nanny turned back to the screen and used her head to block the glare.

Frowning, Dani went to another window and opened the shade. Nanny turned away from the computer screen, but stayed in her seat. Dani raised an eyebrow. This was taking forever.

'Just get up already.'

Giving a huff, Dani flew to each window one after the other and raised each screen as the nanny watched wide eyed. Before Dani could get over to the computer, Nanny had already ran out the door.

Turning visible, Dani looked at the soap still in her hand. 'Oh well.'

Max and Tim ran in. Tim's smile was enormous. "That was awesome, Dani! Even better than the soap trick."

Dani smirked.

Max nodded her approval as well. "Okay," bringing the focus back, "what's your cousin's name Dani?"

"Danny Phantom." Dani answered casually.

Both Max and Tim spun around in surprise. "Danny Phantom?!" they asked together.

"The ghost kid? He's your cousin?" Max asked incredulously.

"Yeah." Dani answered confused.

"Does that mean you're a ghost too? Is that your superpower?" Tim asked.

"Yeah, I'm part ghost."

"Cool!"

"Freaky," Max commented. "I like that."

Max turned back to the computer screen and turned on the search engine. After a few minutes, she sat back defeated. "It doesn't have any information on Danny Phantom other than he is usually seen around Amity Park. I can't find an address or anything."

Dani looked over Max's shoulder to look at the screen. The screen was filled with articles concerning Danny Phantom. Most were trying to confirm whether he was evil or a hero. Off to the right side, a link showed for the local school where Danny Phantom was recently seen.

"What's that?" Dani asked pointing at the link.

"That's the yearbook for the school there. Casper High."

Tim started chuckling.

Max and Dani looked at him, confused and expectant.

Shrugging, Tim pointed at the school's name. "Casper High. It's a joke, get it?"

Max huffed and clicked on the link while Danielle tried to understand Tim's joke. Max scrolled through the pictures of the students before backing up to the previous page.

"Let me see." Dani used the computer to scan through the freshman students. Danny was fourteen years old. He should be in the freshman class or possibly in the Jr. High, but she would check out this link first before trying to find the Jr. High yearbook.

After a couple minutes, Tim pointed out a student with a familiar face. "Who's that?"

Dani's eyes lit up. "That's him!" She had watched his transformations and video clips for hours while she was waiting on her father only a few days ago. Dani looked at the name under the picture. "Danny Fenton."

Max looked at the picture in amazement. Turning to Dani, she insisted, "Turn back into your human form."

Obediently Dani called the transform rings to change her and allowed Max and Tim to scrutinize her face to the one onscreen.

"Dani, he looks just like you." Tim said.

Max nodded agreeing.

Dani shrugged it off. That's what happened when you were cloned. "So how do we find where he lives?"

Max took over the computer. Although she couldn't find his address from his name alone, she found information on a place called Fenton Works. It was ran by two ghost fighters named Maddie and Jack Fenton.

Dani recognized the names. That had to be it.

Max wrote down the address on a piece of paper and gave it to Dani. "Once the driver drops you off here, you can follow them back to Danny's house. Mission Complete."


	5. Meeting Danny

p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Dani turned the last corner following the directions Max printed for her./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""It should be just down this street."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Looking up from the paper, Dani saw a giant sign displaying 'Fenton Works.'/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Well that was easy." /p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Dani placed the directions into her pocket and ran the rest of the way towards the building. She had wondered about all morning trying to find Danny's parents. span style="line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; background-color: initial;"The all night bus trip to Amity Park had been less than comfortable but didn't even compare to her containment unit back home. /span/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle studied the building. Danny's parents should be in by now. It was almost lunch time. Maybe she could catch them going home in time for a lunch break. Then she wouldn't have to wait all day for them to close. Dani eyed the metal addition above the roof./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"'That must be where they are working.' Danielle thought to herself./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Dani spent a few minutes to contemplate her next move. She hadn't been feeling her best after laying on the bus seat all night. At least the clothes Max let her have were more comfortable and warm than her hazmat suit. Still, she could feel a strain from her ghost half. She wasn't as strong as normal, but she knew she couldn't let Danny's parents find her. They were ghost hunters. Her father had warned her about ghost hunters. They were dangerous and couldn't understand ultimate beings such as her father and herself. /p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Finally, Dani made her move. She turned herself invisible before flying toward the strange metal laboratory above Fenton Works. Dani flew around the lab once before phasing through. She could feel a sort of knot in her stomach. The lab was probably full of ghost hunters and experiments. Out of all the workers and ghost hunters, she had to find Maddie and Jack Fenton, Danny's parents./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Phasing through the metal wall, Dani was surprised to not find anyone within the laboratory. The large dome didn't host a sound. Danielle searched through several doors outside the main area. She found an extra room and several other emergency storage areas, but not a hint of life within the metal walls. Only after searching the laboratory several times did she allow her invisibility to fade. It didn't look like people came up here very often. It was possible Fenton Works had shut down. The site Max and Tim found could be outdated./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Before giving up, Dani phased back out of the lab and down to the street below. Dani phased through the Fenton Works entrance to find a comfortable waiting room. It consisted of several couches and chairs focusing around the television. The room was deserted just like the lab. Unlike the upstairs, this area looked like it was used recently./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle smiled. The area looked very homely. Unlike any other place Danielle had seen. She sat down on the couch and looked at the numerous books and magazines littering a coffee table. Lounging on the couch, Danielle scoped out the rest of the building. The room opened up to a stairway leading to the second floor and connected to an adjacent room./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Dani decided to check out the upstairs first but heard something in the next room. Curious, she followed the sounds instead. The clanking grew the closer she came. Her hope began to build. Hopefully she would find Danny's parents after all. span style="line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; background-color: initial;" She had become concerned maybe she would have to wait the rest of the weekend until she would find the Fenton's. Although she had enjoyed her new sense of freedom the last few days, she knew her father must be worried about her. Vlad always wanted Danielle safe and where he could always keep track of her./span/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"If she didn't find Danny today, she should try to call him. Just to let him know she was okay./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Dani followed a boisterous voice though a break room/kitchen, down another stairway into a basement. Downstairs, two workers were busy building a large machine. The clanging and loud voice were produced by a large man dressed in an orange jumpsuit. Next to him, a women in a blue jumpsuit looked over paperwork and made changes where she deemed necessary./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Dani blinked and second glanced at the women working across the room. She looked just like Daddy's computer hologram. Dani watched the woman work, not completely convinced she was real until Jack pulled the woman into his arms and gave her a kiss./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle's face screwed. 'Eww. Did not want to see that.' Convinced the woman was real, Dani secretly watched the couple work as they finished their machine. Although she was curious, she knew how her father didn't like her interrupting his work. Also she wasn't supposed to let any ghost hunters get ahold of her. She couldn't get Danny to help her if she was fighting ghost hunters. Unfortunately, the two were deeply rooted in their work. Dani relaxed, leaning against the wall of the basement, and observed./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"This was terrible. She had been watching the two a whole ten minutes, and she was already bored out of her mind. She had to do this at home, sit and do nothing. She didn't want to do that now. Resting her head on her hands, she made the best of it until she heard her stomach start growling./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"The two scientists shared a glance as Dani tried to stop her stomach./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"The woman in the blue hazmat suit look lovingly at her husband. "Jack, do you want to take a break and get a snack?" The woman asked her husband./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"''Jack!' That's Danny's dad's name!' Dani felt relief flood threw her body. She did it. She found Danny's parents./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Sure thing, Maddie. What can I get for ya?" Dani giggled at the man's naïve attitude./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Whatever you want is fine, Hon." Maddie answered nonchalant./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle had to jump out of the way as Danny's father ran up the stairs in order to get the food for his wife. Dani paused a moment before following Jack into the kitchen. It had to be less boring than watching them work on the gadget sitting in the middle of the basement floor./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Jack quickly put together two sandwiches, stacking up several layers of meats and veggies. Danielle couldn't believe the amount of food in their refrigerator. She hadn't eaten since lunch the day before. After Nanny made lunch, Max's mother showed up and sent Danielle off on the bus, insisting on needing the limo driver for the banquet that night. At least she paid the bus fare. Max had helped Dani with instructions for once she made it to Amity Park. /p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Before that, Tim showed Dani how to work the computer. It was strange they didn't have a hologram to work it for them. Everything had to be done manually. Once Dani got the hang of it, she began searching all kinds of topics, including the moon mystery from the day before. Too soon though, Max's mother insisted Nanny accompany Danielle to the bus./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Jack with a couple piled high sandwiches made his way back down the stairs. Dani stayed in the kitchen a minute before going back to the waiting room./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"That's what waiting rooms were for, right? Now that she knew she completed her objective, the waiting area was far more comfortable and interesting than lab work. She got to see that almost every day. /p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Before Danielle could get comfortable on the sofa, she spied the stairway leading upstairs. She had forgotten about the upstairs. Curiosity getting the better of her, Dani decided to explore the upper level of the building before waiting on the scientists downstairs. span style="line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; background-color: initial;"After all, they weren't going to finish anytime soon. Might as well have some fun./span/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Upstairs, Dani was surprised to find bedrooms. She thought Fenton Works would be full of offices, cubicles, and laboratories. Apparently it was the Fenton's house, as well as their workplace./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Oh well, that made her search that much easier./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"The first room Dani found was very neat and organized. Thick books were lined up along a large bookshelf. The bed was freshly made and the floor cleared./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"'How boring. This must be like the parents room.'/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Dani went across to the opposite side of the hallway to find a bathroom./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Dani sighed. She was hoping to find Fenton Works to be full of cool stuff. So far it was very normal. At least what she thought was normal. Admittedly, she hadn't too much experience in normality./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle moved on to the next door adjacent to the first room she discovered. Inside, she found comic books and models littering the floor, walls, and desk. The bed was made, but just the top layer. The sheets were pulled out and clumped hidden underneath the comforter./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Intrigued, Dani made her way in. Dani picked up one of the comics and surveyed the cover before setting it back down again. She took a moment to look at a few of the models on the bookshelf. Underneath the bottom was labeled 'Danny Fenton.' /p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Yes! I found him." Dani looked around for any sign of her cousin. "Well he's gotta show up eventually."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"span style="line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; background-color: initial;"Looking to the bed, Dani shrugged, smirking. Might as well make herself at home. Taking one of the comics off the floor, Dani plopped onto the spacecraft comforter and began reading. Relaxing against the pillow, Dani noticed how much more comfortable the sleeping arrangements were. Not only were the blankets soft and warm, but her new street clothes also rested comfortably against her, a vast improvement over her previous sleeping arrangements./span/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Completely engrossed in the comic book, Danielle allowed her mind to wonder. Right after she was born, her father taught her several lessons to think ahead and plan things out. As his apprentice, she would need to be able to strategize, as well as fight and follow orders. Fighting and obedience quickly followed strategizing./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"'First, I need to get him on my side.' Dani thought./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"strong style="line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;""Empathy is a powerful motivator, my dear. Show your pawn you can be trusted. Get them on your side. Then the fool will follow your every whim."/strong/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle looked down as a loud grumble interrupted her thoughts. Her stomach kept doing that. Weird./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"On an unrelated note, she wish she had taken some stuff out of the fridge once Danny's dad had left. There was so much stuff sitting in the refrigerator, she had never seen before. What kind of sensations were being missed at this moment?/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Sighing, Dani continued waiting for Danny to appear. Distractions wouldn't help Danielle find Danny. She couldn't miss him. She needed him in order to fully stabilize her ghost form. Her mission came first./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Luckily, it wasn't long before she heard a voice enter the room./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""I know," Danny said into a cell phone as he morphed back into his human half, "and I appreciate it, but uh…"/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle heard Danny pause as he noticed her. She wanted to finish the comic before making introductions. Unfortunately, her mission took place before her reading pleasure./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"After a moment's hesitation, Danny walked over to the bed, eyeing the strange girl lounging in his room./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Can I help you?" Danny asked accusingly./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle glanced up above the comic book. He looked just like Daniel. Of course, he was Daniel, but the other Daniel. Her clone cousin Daniel. She was in the right place for sure./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Yes!" The phone answered Danny's question./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danny turned his attention to the phone looked annoyingly at it. "No, Not you," he yelled./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Not so loud," Dani rebuked. She didn't want his parents showing up to investigate./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"'Oh well, might as well make a good impression.'/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Hey, I'm Danielle. Your third cousin once removed." Danielle tried to explain. Dani just needed to show Danny they're family. Then he'll be willing to help her./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""I ran away from home," she continued to explain. Before Danny could get in a word, Dani's eyes widened as a tempting though crossed her mind. "Hey, you got any food!" She couldn't go down and get caught by Danny's parents, but Danny could get her some food from the fridge downstairs./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danny looked blankly at his apparent cousin for a second before returning to his call. "Uh… I've gotta go."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Of course you do," the phone returned sarcastically./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;".../p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Daddy was right. Danny brought Danielle all the food she could stuff in her stomach and then some. She was excited to try some new food: fried chicken, chocolate, ice cream, sodas, leftover Chinese, and something called sugar puffs. All of it amazing with its own unique flavors./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danny was shocked with how much Danielle was eating./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"'How can this small girl eat as much as me?' She ate as much as his father./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danny wasn't sure where his "cousin" came from or why she ran away, but he needed to get to the bottom of this. A young girl shouldn't be out on her own./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle gave a satisfied burp, before noticing Danny's wall for the first time. He had several space posters decorating the wall as well as a junior astronaut certificate and a rough space ship sketch, obviously designed by him./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""You want to be an astronaut?" She had looked into the career herself while exploring Max's computer. "Do you know they only choose one hundred people…"/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""…every two years to go into the space program," Danny and Danielle finished together./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Dani was amused at his lack of excitement. He looked kind of bummed by the idea. Danielle thought it was awesome. If she could become an astronaut one day, she would be with the best. Not just anyone can get into the space program./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Yeah, I knew that." Danny said, "How did you?"/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"'The internet, duh.'/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Not answering, Danielle turned to the bedside about to jump down, but stopped when she saw a plastic case sitting on Danny's dresser./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Dumpty Humpty." Danielle recognized the CD case anywhere. "These guys rock!" she said picking up the case to get a better look./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Yeah, I know that too." Danny came around the bed to take back his CD. "Have enough to eat?"/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Dani nodded contently./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Then it's time to talk to my parents." Danny took Danielle's hand and led her outside into the hallway./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle's heart skipped a beat./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""No!" Dani whined. She couldn't be caught by ghost hunters./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Look, you say you're my cousin," Danny hesitated, "and maybe you are, but we still have to call your parents," he finished firmly./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"'My parents? Seriously. I am trying to prove to Daddy I can do this myself.'/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Glaring at her original, Dani shook her hand from his grasp. "I said, No!"/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"As Danielle ran back into Danny's room, she heard him yell, "Hey, come back!"/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"'Good luck finding me.'/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Still in her human form, Danielle allowed herself to turn invisible before flying out the window. Once she flew around to the other side of the building, she dropped the invisibility and landed in the backyard./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Sighing, Danielle sat against Fenton Works and tried to figure out what went wrong./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"'Danny doesn't trust me, even if we're family. He wants to turn me in.'/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle distracted herself watching a green ghost float bobbing in a swimming pool in the Fenton's backyard. Her thoughts were interrupted by a cold gut feeling releasing a cold mist from her lips. Danielle blinked in surprise. That had happened only once before. When she came across a new ghost./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Rooooooar!"/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle blinked. She knew that voice. It was one of the ghost that inhabited Vlad's castle. He was this beefed up muscled guy with a serious attitude problem. Any time he was put in the ring, he fought with blind fury. Vlad used him to teach Danielle the problems with "not using her head."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Another familiar scream filled the air. Dani recognized Danny's scream from the video clips she watched when her father left her alone several days ago. If Danny was in trouble, she could help get rid of Muscles. Then he would help her for sure./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle ran around Fenton Works and hopped the fence in time to see Danny skid right into a blue car across the street. Flinching, Danielle watched Danny get up unharmed. Running to meet him, she saw Muscles pick her cousin up by the neck. Danny struggled to break his hold./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"No one treated her cousin like that. Making it across the street Danielle stood up to the bully./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Hey!" Sure enough the ghost stopped his attack on Danny to the girl threatening him. "Leave him alone." Danielle demanded./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Still within the ghost's grasp, Danny ordered at Danielle to get to safety away from the ghost, but Danielle wasn't going to have any of that. She was tired of Danny trying to get rid of her. She spent too much energy for him to ruin her plans./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Forget it. I know who you are, and I came a long way to find you." Crossing her arms and standing her ground, she allowed her rings to appear transforming her to her ghost half. It may take up energy, but she needed Danny if she's ever going to be complete. "And I'm not leaving now."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"As Danielle turned to her ghost form, she saw Danny's eyes widen in shock. 'If he thought that was cool, wait till I save his butt from that jerk.'/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Charging a ghost ray, Dani blasted the ghost who had yet to release her cousin's neck. Danielle could feel the energy draining from the blast. It wasn't her 'limit' but she hadn't been stabilized in the lab for two days now./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danny turned to her. "How…" But before he could ask, he was interrupted by the ghost, now angry from the annoying blast that stopped his mission./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle and Danny dodged the attack landing next to each other each in an attack stance./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Do you want to ask questions, or you want to kick some butt?"/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Seriously, why did Danny question everything? If she questioned her father half as much as Danny questioned her, she would be banished to her cell until further notice./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danny and Danielle continued to dodge until they both had the opportunity to charge a ghost ray at the attacking ghost. Together, they stopped his advances. Sure enough, after some smoke cleared, the monster stopped his attack only to disintegrate into the ground in a pile of ecto goo./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle's eyebrows shot up. She didn't expect the ghost to destabilize so easily. So far, all her spars against a ghost ended up with her breaking down their structure, but she thought the ghosts outside her father's protection were more stable. Her father protected the ghosts from the cruel world outside his walls, and they repaid him by completing missions./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle felt a dizzy sensation in the back of her head distracting her from the previous ghost./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""This night's getting weirder and weirder," Danny commented. Then turning to Danielle, he spoke up, "and I have a lot of questions."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"'Of course you do...'/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""When we get back, my parents are…"/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle almost collapsed. Luckily Danny caught her. Dani had used up a lot of energy. She needed Danny's mid morph DNA, and soon./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""…And I guess we'll have to answer those questions tomorrow."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Although Dani's head was still spinning, she allowed herself to relax. Danny wasn't turning her in tonight./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;".../p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle pulled the blankets up to her chin. Danny let her stay in the guest room in the Ops Center upstairs. Apparently they only used the Ops Center when there was a ghost emergency. She would be safe all night./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Staring at the ceiling, Danielle tried to think how to get Danny to trust her. He kept asking her unwanted questions and wanting to get his parents involved. They were family. Why wasn't that enough?/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"'Family…' Dani shot up from her bed. She had decided to call her father earlier, but she forgot. She didn't want him worried about her. He had been distracted working on the new Daniel clone, but he probably wanted to do more tests and experiments on her by now. It had been a few days now. He must be worried./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle wondered into the main room, and looked along the control panel. A large screen with dialing options rested on the right side of her room. The computer didn't look too different from her father's computer. Danielle tried to find the appropriate signals to locate her father's laboratory phone./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Too bad they didn't have an automatic system like her father. She could just ask the computer to call her father for her./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Searching through the buttons, she found her father's castle phone link sequence. She wasn't sure how to get in contact with the cabin, but if she left a message at the castle lab, her father would see it soon enough./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle waited for the call to go through. Surprisingly, her father's face filled the screen. "Ah Daniel, however did you get this number?"/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Dani waited for him to look up at her, but finally answered, "Daddy?"/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Vlad's eyes widened and glanced up to meet Danielle's eyes./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Danielle, what in the world are you doing? Why aren't you in your containment unit?"/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"It was natural he was angry with her. It was her fault for disobeying him, but she needed to prove to him she could go on missions and take care of herself./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""I'm getting the DNA sample." Danielle declared./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Vlad sized her up, hand on chin./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""In order to retrieve a mid-morph DNA sample, Daniel must be in the lab for the extraction."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Vlad gave a pause studying Danielle./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Daniel has put you in the guest room upstairs?"/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle nodded confidently. "I've stayed hidden from the ghost hunters and helped Danny fight ghosts."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Vlad's eyebrows shot up. "Interesting."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"After a pause, he continued. "I believe you can help me after all. I have sent three ghosts to lure Daniel into my trap. Two have already confronted Daniel, and one will finish our mission tomorrow." Pausing to make sure Danielle was paying attention, Vlad continued. "I believe we have a change in plans."/p 


	6. Vlad's POV

Vlad watched carefully as the new DNA sample broke down into its main components, reforming to make the proper DNA sequence. A delicate process Vlad had nearly perfected over the last six months. The diploid cells needed to break down into proper haploid cells before he could combine the multiple DNA sources to make new haploid cells. The new DNA can be used to grow a fully grown subject within a few days. It would take another few days to upload basic knowledge and characteristics into the clone's mind.

"This will be my most successful attempt. It will work this time." Using hair to have a basis for the human DNA had proven to be the most stable solution. After Vlad finished the canvas for the form, he just needed to capture Daniel and retrieve his DNA while in mid morph. "With both Danny's ghost DNA and his human DNA, Daniel will be complete."

A voice hovering behind him interrupted his concentration. "Daddy, didn't you say you needed Danny's morph DNA?" Danielle reminded.

Vlad sighed. Danielle had been wandering around and annoying him all morning. It was terribly distracting, but she had inherited Daniel's inability to sit quietly and do nothing. It seems he didn't spend enough time uploading data into her mind. The information for his primary clone would be more carefully scrutinized. He would have to take away her tendency to banter and give him a higher level of obedience. The same mistake wouldn't be taken with his primary clone. Vlad wouldn't rush anything.

"Daniel's mid-morph DNA is what I need to complete my work," Vlad explained. There was much to do before he could begin the process of collecting the DNA sample. It would take another week at least. "The DNA itself will be the bridge to guide the crossing from boy to ghost."

Accepting her father's answer, Danielle absentmindedly wandered around a little longer before slumping against the wall. Vlad's heightened senses forced him to be aware of everything she did. The other ghost clones remained in their containment units, but Danielle constantly moved and wandered. It was infuriating.

She had almost been accepted as his primary clone, but her inability to obey condemned her status. The reason Danny couldn't ever become his son was his unwillingness to accept Vlad. The clone could not have the same problem. His new son must be completely loyal and obedient. Even so, Danielle was incredibly useful for his experimentations. Thanks to her contribution, he found exactly how each stabilizers affected his clones, strengthening or diminishing the clones powers and abilities. Danielle's mostly stable state allowed Vlad to experiment which stabilizers had the best effect to complete the clone project.

"Can I help?" Her sudden voice surprised Plasmius.

'Enough.' Vlad silently screamed to himself. 'I can't work with her constantly bother me.'

Vlad turned to the clone, trying to keep his anger under control. Her part wasn't over yet. "Your help is not required Danielle. Your job is to stay in your containment unit so I can keep an eye on you."

Danielle stared back wide eyed.

"Stay in your containment unit until I need you." Vlad insisted, borderline yelling this time.

Danielle spun around and flew straight into her containment unit. Vlad sighed as a weight seemed to be lifted from his shoulders. Vlad floated back to the DNA sequences forming within the tube unit before being interrupted by an alert.

Vlad checked the reminder blinking from the monitor. It was time to give Danielle her IV. Vlad stopped and considered. Danielle wouldn't stay put for long, before curiosity had her sneak back in. Vlad used to deplete her excess energy by having her fight in the arena. She would exhaust herself into staying put, and he could gather readings on his clone's abilities according to the stabilizers used at the time.

Turning from the alert, Vlad floated towards the chemical lab. Before making up Danielle's stabilizer IV bag, Plasmius retrieved a red bottle not yet used on Danielle. The contents proved to be dangerous for the unstable half ghosts, but just a few drops in Danielle's tube should cause her to fall asleep for a few weeks. It would put her more or less in a comatose state, out of his hair at last. Although if he put any of the other clones on the destabilizer, they would break down immediately. Danielle's current stabilization and strength would allow her to hold the chemical solution until she could fight the drug out of her system on her own. He could continue using her to experiment on of course, although he wouldn't have the benefit of her expressing in words what she was experiencing. Until she was needed again, it was better Danielle was out of the picture.

Dropping the solution into the stabilizer bag Danielle needed to remain solid, he sent the nourishment sample to Danielle's chamber. There was no need to join Danielle as she took her IV. Danielle knew how to insert the needle herself. Then she would fall into a deep sleep. Then Vlad could focus on his primary son.

…

Vlad answered the call from Fenton Works. It seemed Daniel discovered the number to contact Vlad's lab. Vlad was curious to why the halfa would contact him. Daniel considered him an enemy.

Answering the call, Vlad began by bringing attention to the fact Danny had come to him. The answer was what a few months ago, Vlad would have been happy to hear from Fenton Works, "Daddy?" There were two things wrong with the response. One, Vlad had condemned Danny's fate as his son when Danny betrayed him that night in Colorado. Two, that wasn't Danny's voice. It was Danielle's…

Vlad was surprised to find not only had Danielle disobeyed him, again, but she ran away to Danny in Amity Park all by herself. After almost a week without proper stabilizers injections, Vlad was impressed she was still on her feet. It didn't excuse the fact she had disobeyed him but still beyond her expected abilities.

'I suppose without the added benefit of destabilizers to keep her under his control, she could go on longer than thought possible before.' he considered.

He wouldn't need Danielle for too much longer, but how did she escape after he put her to sleep? She couldn't be strong enough to resist his destabilizer. He needed more information from the ghost girl.

After adjusting his plan to include Danielle in the final attack, he wished her a good night. "Get a good night's rest, dearest. You'll need your full strength tomorrow." Vlad told Danielle through the monitor. He could tell she had been worn down without her daily stabilizers. If she was going to perform tomorrow, she needed to rest up. He couldn't have her destabilizing before he captured Daniel in his trap.

"Good night, Daddy!" Danielle waved as she screen blackened.

Vlad's face darkened. 'That insolent child. She's no good to me outside my lab.'

'Danielle had gone off on her own without permission. Apparently the girl could not obey orders without proper motivation.'

Turning away from the screen covering his wall, Vlad floated across the laboratory to his new son still being formed in the containment chamber. Daniel would be finished soon enough, and Vlad would finally have his perfect half ghost son.

After so many failures, Vlad could know love and companionship once again.

Vlad furrowed his brows. He would have to work quickly to make the necessary arrangements. He could work around Danielle's foolishness as well as win her back. He would have to work through the night and most the next morning to finish preparations.

…..

Transporting himself outside Amity Park, Vlad made his way to Fenton Works. Danielle was hidden in that fool Jack's emergency ghost unit he insisted putting above the roof of their home.

Vlad had made most the final preparations for the latest development in his plan. His home in Colorado would be perfect to finish the cloning process. He transported his Daniel there and made all preparations for Danny's stay with him as well.

After completing the transfer, Vlad would have to extend an invitation to the love of his life. With her son under his command, she would finally leave that fool, Jack, and accept him and Daniel as her family.

Arriving at Fenton Works, Vlad checked in on Daniel before meeting with Danielle. Luckily Danny couldn't detect him with that silly ghost sense power of his. Daniel was still getting ready for school, as expected.

Danny ran around looking for a shoe. He finally found it under a comic he had reread last night. The same one his cousin found and left on his bed the previous day.

Danny's eyes widened as he remembered his cousin sleeping upstairs.

"Danielle. I almost forgot."

He needed to let her know to stay in the Ops Center until he got back home from school. Then he could introduce her to his parents and figure out what to do. He couldn't take her last night. She had been extremely weak from fighting. His parents might want to take her to the hospital or something.

Danny had gone through the same thing when he had first gotten his ghost powers. He constantly had to hide from his parents how tired he had become by using his ghost powers, not to mention the sudden amount of injuries. Luckily his ghost powers made him a fast healer. Although unlike Danny, Danielle seemed to have a very keen grip on her powers even if they still drained her.

Danny snuck down the hallway to the ladder leading to the roof. Climbing up to the Ops Center, Danny was surprised to find no one there. He told Danielle to stay here. Where could she have gone?

"Danielle," Danny called. When looking through the guest room and control room proved to be fruitless, Danny gave up. He already missed the bus. He didn't want to be tardy for class any more than necessary. He would have to find Danielle later.

Phasing into his ghost self, Danny left the Ops Center to try and make it on time for school for a change. Maybe his friends could help him figure her out.

Danielle watched as Danny flew away. Behind her, Vlad lifted his hand from her shoulder, releasing their invisibility.

"It's a shame Daniel will never accept us as family," Vlad commented.

Danielle glanced up wide eyed to her father's sad face.

"I tried to help Daniel see things our way, but I'm afraid he has rejected me too many times."

Danielle looked down looking uncomfortable. Vlad turned his head to watch her reaction. Slowly she admitted, "He did try to turn me in to his parents. He wanted to send me home instead of helping me."

Vlad put on a sympathetic face. "You must not blame yourself dear. Daniel has betrayed me more than once. That's why I have pursued developing a clone to stand by my side." Vlad waited until Danny flew out of view before asking, "Are you ready to complete my work, Danielle?"

Nodding, Danielle followed Danny toward Casper High.


	7. The Betrayal

p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danny's classes were so boring. Dani couldn't believe she was stuck spying while her father finished his 'preparations' back at the lab. Lunch time couldn't come soon enough. Then Daddy's plan could be put into action, and he would finally finish her./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danny was running late to his first period class. His teacher didn't seem too surprised though. Danielle realized Danny had two friends which he sat by in each of his classes. One was a girl named Sam with short dark hair sporting dark clothes and makeup. The other was a dark skinned boy named Tucker with thick glasses and seemed obsessed with his PDA./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"As Danny's classes slowly passed, Danielle thought about her friends back in Wisconsin. She really missed Max and Tim. She only knew them briefly, but they were the first friends she ever had./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"When Daddy and Dani returned to the lab in the woods, Danielle could visit. Tim wouldn't be with Max's family for too much longer. Dani wanted to see her friends before Tim was sent to the next relative./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Tim and Max had shown Dani how much fun the outside world could be outside their parents' jurisdiction. She really wanted to ask about a CD she found in Danny's room. She didn't like the single as much as Humpty Dumpty, but she wanted to hear her friend's opinion. When she asked Danny yesterday before he sent her to the Ops Center to spend the night, Danny said the artist was really popular, and he got the CD as a gift./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"He was lying though. His actions became super over the top dramatic like he was hiding something. He bought the CD himself, even if he was embarrassed of the fact. It wasn't that the CD was bad, Danielle just didn't think it was so good. Max really had a thing for music. Dani would have to ask her about 'Remember,' and see what she thought./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"A loud ringing made Danielle stiffen. She relaxed when she realized it was just the school bell and not the arena back home. Floating up from her spot by the window, she followed Danny through the hallway to his locker. His two friends joined him as they walked down the hallway. Sam and Tucker looked positively worn out. As they exchanged their books out from their lockers, Danny was pushed into his locker by a boy with a yellow flattop and a sports jacket./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Watch out, Fentard," the boy mocked, "You don't wanna be late to class again."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle stiffened at the abuse to her cousin. 'No, not cousin. Daddy said he didn't accept me as family, so I should stop thinking of him as one.'/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle turned her back as the bully strode away, her eyes glowing brighter than usual. After the hallway cleared, Danny reappeared next to his friends. They hurried to their next class before the bell rang again./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"At least Danny had his ghost powers to get him out of that cramped locker. Danielle didn't understand why Danny didn't do something to stop that boy. He was no different than the ghost Danny and her fought the previous day. He was a bully using his strength to push others around./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"If anyone messed with either one of her friends like that, they wouldn't be around to regret it. Danny's friends did nothing./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"When Max's mother declared Danielle couldn't take the limo and had to go home alone on a strange bus, Tim and Max both stood up for her. They were punished for it too. Danielle didn't understand why Danny's friends didn't help him./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"The next two classes passed by just as slowly as the previous one. Danielle watched Danny fall asleep in the second one only to be poked awake by the girl. At least she looked out for Danny in class./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"The final class period before the lunch break was a science class. For whatever reason, Danny actually seemed pretty excited for this one, even though neither of his friends shared the class with him./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Unlike the other classrooms, this one was almost empty. Danielle sat in the empty desk behind Danny glancing at his textbook, astronomy./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Dani's eyes glistened. Danny took astronomy! He was only a freshman. Astronomy was an advanced course. Daddy said Danny was failing his classes because he didn't have motivation. Although she saw this lack of motivation in his math and English courses, he was alert in this class. Danielle found herself fully paying attention to the lesson as well. She didn't understand everything. She didn't have much understanding of the Earth, let alone the world beyond it, but she was fascinated by the concepts presented in the class./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"When the bell rang, Danielle silently waited as the other students escaped through the door. She turned through the textbook pages with fascination. The universe was enormous and full of beautiful and incredible phenomenon. The universe was even growing as we speak. Eventually it would stretch out too far and start crumbling back on top of itself until it became too small, and the process would begin all over again. The instruments used to figure this stuff out and make these predictions were fantastic./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"After a few minutes, Dani regretfully left the book in the desk and followed the students into the lunchroom. Several students were going outside to eat, but Dani found her cous… Danny sitting on the far side of the cafeteria talking with his friends. He seemed to be kinda bummed, but his friends weren't impressed with his tale. Danielle snuck under the table to listen./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""So I hid her in the guest bedroom in the Ops Center, and she was gone before I left for school." Danny realized his friends weren't reacting to his story and looked at them in confusion. "Are you guys okay?"/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Dude, we rebuilt a miniature golf course from scratch yesterday. How do you think we are?" asked the boy, Tucker./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Guys, I'm sorry."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danny's friend turned their heads away, not accepting the apology. "Broken record." Tucker retorted./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""No, I am. I'm sorry." Danny insisted./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle rolled her eyes. Why did Danny hang out with these guys? He said he was sorry. It's not like he asked them to apologize for abandoning him to a bully./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danny tried win their approval anyway. "I was busy with a super-powered cousin I didn't even know I had."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"'I guess that's my cue.' Danielle popped through the table surprising Danny and throwing his tray of food all over his two friends. Danny looked around nervously, but Dani waved smirking./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""And… this must be her." the girl, Sam, noted./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Can you excuse us for a second?" Danny asked, gesturing to Danielle to follow him away from the table./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle blinked. 'Why is he mad at me? I'm not the one being a jerk.'/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle phased back under the table and returned to her human form before meeting Danny in the middle of the cafeteria./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Look," Danny began, "you can't just come in here and use your powers like that."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Spoilsport. "Aww, come on. It was funny." Danny didn't seem amused./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Dani had to admit if he messed with her friends, she wouldn't be happy with him. Noticing the bully from earlier, Dani gestured back over to Danny's friends. "Maybe it would be funnier if I messed up that guy."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danny looked as the jerk who pushed him into his locker earlier bothering his friends back at the table./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Wow," Danny said impressed, "You like NASA, and you already hate Dash. Maybe we are related."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Dani felt a strange sense of pride at his words. 'Will he accept me as family after all?'/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""How about you tell me how you got those powers in the first place?" Danny challenged./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle frowned. Danny em style="line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"couldn't/em seem to accept her without knowing everything. He couldn't accept her as his cousin. Daddy was right./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Before she could answer she felt her ghost sense alert her. The third ghost had arrived, right on time./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"The small, glowing ghost whipped around the cafeteria almost running straight into Danielle and Danny. They avoided the attack but the little speck came right back for more before flying out the cafeteria. The students ran for cover out of the cafeteria making a mess in their panic./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Time to begin her mission for real. "Shall we?" asked Dani./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""I still have questions." Danny insisted./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Let's catch that thing." Danielle retorted. "And after that, you'll know everything."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle ran outside with Danny in close pursuit. She just had to get Danny across town to get Danny away from his friends. As useless as they have been so far, Danielle didn't see the point, but Daddy was insistent Danny and them be separated from each other./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Dani phased into her ghost form and jumped into the air tailing the ghost that lead them away from the school. Danny quickly caught up to her, leading the chase./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle smirked at his competitive nature. Her father instructed to get him alone. That's exactly what she would do./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;""Race ya," she challenged./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Chuckling, Danny answered, "You are on!" Danny took off, but Danielle had quite a bit of time to work on her flying while in the woods. She kept Danny's tail until he accelerated to full speed. She knew she wasn't strong enough to keep up, but to beat him wasn't her purpose now. She put Danny exactly where he needed to be./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle stopped behind a building while she waited for her signal. Vlad had given her the responsibility to give the final blow. He trusted her to complete her mission./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"The sound of Danny and her father battling could be heard echoing through the streets, but they ended up traveling back towards the school. Danielle followed the battle through the streets until she saw the signal./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Finally Vlad sent a ghost ray right towards Danny's form. Danny met the offense with his own ghost ray, putting the battle at a standstill. Vlad knew if his ghost ray hit Danny, it could seriously injure him. This was Danielle's chance to prove her loyalty to her father, her family./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"She flew over the two dueling halfas landing behind Danny. Danielle charged her own ghost ray getting ready for her moment./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danny noticed her and called out, "Help me! Do something!"/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle smirked. Her ghost ray was charged and ready to go. "Oh, I am."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"She blasted Danny square in the back. She couldn't make the blast too strong, just enough to knock out Danny for the trip back to the cabin. Although she had put her full power into the blow, it was the perfect amount of force needed until Daddy could secure him in the lab./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danny collapsed to the ground. He didn't move until his rings formed, changing him back to his human half. He looked up at the two halfas standing before him./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"He panted, "I don't understand."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danielle joined her father before Danny's human form on the pavement. She completed her first mission. "Did I do good, Daddy?"/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Vlad smiled at her in his triumph, "You did excellent, child. I could not wish for a better daughter."/p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Danny groaned as he passed out./p  
p style="font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30.8px; border: none; color: #000f22; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important; box-shadow: none !important; background: none !important;"Vlad picked him up and threw Danny over his shoulder. Vlad flew to his hideout deep in the Colorado Mountains where his final clone waited./p 


	8. Liberation

Danielle felt the air rushing against her face. It felt good to be in her father's good graces once again. She followed her father's form with Danny in tow heading back toward her father's lab in Wisconsin. Although she wasn't too excited to go back to the laboratory back home, she knew it held the promise of her final modification and finally becoming her father's apprentice. Soon she would be back at the cabin near her friends and her family.

She missed her friends. Tim, the hyper active slightly younger and unusually happy boy who took on to Dani instantly. Dani knew he wouldn't be living with Max for much longer. Max's mother would only care for him for a short time before he moved on to the next relative. She wanted to get a chance to see them again before that happened. Max was such an awesome older cousin for Tim. Although she was stand offish at first, but she definitely cared for her cousin.

Danielle passed a glare at the unconscious boy being carried over her father's shoulder. If only Danielle's own older cousin proved to be as protective as Max. Max had proven to be a better advisor than Danny.

Once Vlad passed the Amity Park border, he stopped. Danielle joined him outside the border. Vlad smirked back at Danny's hometown before taking Danielle's arm and transported them to the lab.

Transported to the lab, Danielle dropped to the ground. She hated that power. Even if she wasn't the one performing the transportation, it still took up a lot of power to keep intact through the sudden phasing. It didn't help her father didn't give her any type of warning.

Still on her knees, Danielle tried to catch her breath as she looked to see what her father would do with Danny. She was surprised to find a lab she was unfamiliar with. How many secret labs did her father have? She knew he was rich in the human world, but really?

Vlad dragged Danny over to a table next to a monitor playing clips of Danny morphing. On the table sat a small cube. Dropping Danny on the floor, Vlad activated the cube and threw it over Danny's sleeping form trapping him within the box. Danielle had a bad feeling about the box in the pit of her stomach. She hated having to stay in her containment unit, when not needed by her father. It looked miserable to have to stay in that tiny thing. Luckily, the box grew to hold the human boy with minimum comfort. Danny remained asleep even while confined within the cube.

Danielle looked around the unfamiliar laboratory. There were five containment units along the walls. The same type as the one back home Vlad had used to make Danielle in the first place. In the last chamber was Daniel. Dani stared at his sleeping form as it floated within the ectoplasm keeping him stable and being fed through wires.

Standing, Danielle walked up to her cousin. He was just as she remembered. He was afraid he had died back that day in the arena nearly a week ago. Obviously Daddy had managed to save him and stabilize him in the ectoplasm. Dani turned to her father. Vlad monitored the clips playing on the monitor not paying attention to Danielle. Dani rushed over to him getting his attention.

"Daddy, you saved Daniel?" I asked excitedly. Even if Danny couldn't accept me as family, perhaps a fellow clone of his would. The day Daniel destabilized was terrible which Danielle tried to block from her mind. He was the only other ghost besides her father to look her in the eye and acknowledge her. He was her family, and she didn't even know what had happened to him.

Vlad looked away from the screen and looked to the unconscious clone considering how to acknowledge Daniel's existence here. After a second of deliberation, he turned back to the young girl. "Ah yes, of course. A secondary clone will be needed to test the DNA obtained from the morphing process before I use it on my primary clone."

Danielle looked concerned at her cousin surrounded by ectoplasm. "When will he be ready to wake up?" She didn't want any harm to come upon her cousin for her sake, but the sooner Daniel was stabilized the better. She didn't want him to break down again.

"Soon, dearest." Vlad came up closer to the clone, examining her form. "In the meantime, I believe you should stay in your unit in the next room." He directed, gesturing to the wall behind her. "You are terribly weak dear. I will retrieve you when I am ready for you." he promised.

Danielle ducked her head. It was embarrassing to be seen as weak, but she followed orders, walking through the wall into the next room. The empty room entered was fairly large but also slightly damaged with scratch and bite marks lining the walls. A lone containment unit waited in the middle of the room. Danielle looked in the small unit but shuddered at the thought of entering the cold metal husk.

Turning away from the small prison, Danielle rested on the tiled floor. It wasn't any less comfortable or cold, but at least she wasn't cramped inside the small enclosing. Danielle phased into her human form, thankful to find Max's hoodie waiting for her. It seemed her friends were still looking out for her. Pulling the hoodie over her head, Danielle allowed herself to fall into a deep sleep.

…..

"**Max?" Dani called. The girl was climbing out Vlad's castle window running into the woods beyond his property. Vlad didn't have a trellis, but Max had managed to make it to the ground anyway. "Where are we going?"**

"**The cave. Away from Vlad." Max answered leading the way into the woods.**

**Dani watched her run into the woods, uncertain. Max did this all the time at her own house, but Dani didn't like the idea of disobeying Vlad. He always got really angry when she disobeyed him before. She wanted to go to the cave again with her friends, away from Vlad's authority and control, but she had to stay or he might hurt Max and… Wait? Where was Tim?**

**Looking frantically around for Max's younger cousin, Max gestured to the woods. "He's waiting at the cave Danielle. Let's go!"**

"**I can't go. Daddy will get me." Danielle was afraid of her father when he was angry. He had hurt her before, and she wanted to stay on his good side. She had to become a ruler one day.**

"**He's not the boss of me, Danielle." Max ran into the woods into the cave. Danielle followed only to realize Tim wasn't there. **

"**Vlad got him Dani. You have to save him." Max pleaded.**

'**Oh no, this was all her fault. If she had protected Tim, he wouldn't be with one of the richest millionaires on the planet…'**

"I. Am. Not. A. Fruit. Loop." A loud shot echoed through the walls.

Danielle jumped awake, morphing into her ghost form on high alert after being woken up so suddenly. Her father sounded angry. He was going to hurt someone. She had to help her friend. Turning invisible, Danielle morphed through the wall back into the lab to see what was happening.

"And I am not a villain." Her father told Danny, who although finally awake did not seem very happy in his containment cube. "All I wanted was love."

Danielle blinked trying to distinguish what was real and what was in her dream.

Danielle's father pressed a button revealing Dani's cousin, Daniel, asleep within the chamber. "It's taken months, and the good clone still needs more time before he can accept your DNA."

'Good Clone?' The statement shocked Danielle fully awake. 'What did he mean?' Dani thought alarmed. 'Does that make me the bad clone?'

The small green ghost Vlad used to lure Danny away from the school appear and began circling Danny's head.

"So those ghosts…" Danny began, following the swirling green ghost with his eyes, still trapped within the cube.

"Bad clones, mistakes." Vlad clarified, bowing his head ashamed.

The tiny ghost grew to its full-sized revealing itself to be another Danny clone, but its form was far from stabilized. The ghost's eye dropped right out of its head, sickening Danielle, and dissolved into the floor leaving only a pool of ectoplasm behind.

"And I would watch hundred more failures. Dissolve into ectoplasm to get the perfect half ghost son."

"Oh yeah," Danny chuckled. "Nothing loopy about that." He said rolling his eyes at the older ghost.

"Are you under the impression you're getting out of this?" Vlad asked amused. "I need a DNA sample of you, mid morph to complete my work." Vlad snapped his fingers causing the green clone to shrink back to its more stabilized size before phasing into Danny.

Danielle gasped and tried help her c… Danny. 'He is Danny, not my cousin. He doesn't deserve my help.' She told herself stubbornly.

"Get out of me." Danny struggled, trying to keep the ghost from overshadowing him but finally lost.

"And then you will be obsolete." Vlad gloated.

Despite her unwillingness to accept Danny, Danielle felt sick. Danny may not accept Dani or her father, but he was still a person. Danielle couldn't stand to see anyone suffering, not even her jerky former cousin. What would Daddy do with him once he collected the DNA sample? If he considered Danny as no longer relevant, there was no point in keeping him around, at all.

'Vlad would probably discard of Danny, just like the other ghosts who weren't good enough to continue serving him, including me…' Danielle's head clouded in confusion. 'Daniel was the primary clone. Then Danielle was another bad clone. Daddy wanted one perfect… son,' Danielle realized 'to rule at his side, not a mistake. An imperfection. My chromosomes were damaged. I turned out wrong.' Danielle could feel tears threatening to escape her eyes, but she held in her confusion until she could confront her father. Not with Danny, though. Just him and her.

Vlad released the two Dannys from the cube and inserted the overshadowed teen into the containment unit binding his wrists.

"If you refuse to allow my clone to morph you, we'll just add a little persuasion." Vlad left Danny to view the results on the main monitor. "Computer."

"Yes, sweetness." The same hologram from the other two labs appeared.

"Turn the power on in cell three until Danny gives me what I want."

"Yes, darling."

"There isn't any point in resisting. I successfully trailed off any followers to my Wisconsin home. No one will be able to find you here."

Danny only glared back at the ghost before him preparing for the torture he would endure. Danny wouldn't give Vlad anything.

The blue hologram walked across the lab until she came up to the control board for cell three. Turning the power up as requested, Danielle watched as Danny began struggling to not only resist the clone overshadowing him, but also the shock Vlad was torturing him with.

After several minutes of electric energy passing through his body, Danielle began noticing a mix of red and green ectoplasm forming around Danny's wrist where the cuffs were cutting into his skin. Danny continued trying to break free from the cuffs anyway, ignoring the pain.

'Would Daddy treat her so inhumanly as well? He didn't consider her any better than Danny.'

Turning the shock back down, the hologram reported. "Subject is resisting morph, honey bear."

Vlad turned from his monitor to see Danny breathing hard still trying to resist the overshadowing. "Then turn up the power!"

The hologram turned back to the controls before turning the power up to a level four. Danielle watched as Danny rings appeared, before resisting and calling the rings back once again.

Vlad finally lost his patience and joined the hologram at the controls. "Well?" he asked the hologram.

"Subject is still resisting morph, dear heart." The hologram then turned the dial up to level six.

Danny's groans and efforts looked to be futile. The rings returned and threatened to finish the transformation. Nonetheless, Danny pulled at the restraints further cutting his wrists and held back the already formed transformation rings.

The DNA sample wouldn't be complete until Danny fully morphed while still connected to the sensors. Daddy would continue to torture Danny until he got what he wanted. It wouldn't be too much longer before Danny would have to give in.

Just then, the computer began buzzing a warning.

"Containment chamber beginning to overload." The hologram reported just before Cell 3 gave off a small explosion with Danny inside. Danielle dropped her invisibility and came up behind her father trying not to breathe in the heavy smoke within the room.

"Whoopsie, has overloaded." The hologram clarified.

'No duh…' Danielle thought.

Danny, now free from the bindings finally allowed the rings to finish morphing and weakly flew away from his cell. Phasing right through Vlad, Danny retreated upstairs to find a place to hide.

Vlad turned around to retrieve Danny before he caused any damage. "Ahh, I will…" Vlad threatened, but stopped when he saw a small spy behind his back. "Danielle, how… how long have you been floating there?" he asked uncomfortably.

Danielle had to know. He wouldn't lie to her again. "Am I an imperfection, a mistake?" She could feel tears forming around her eyes. Danny wouldn't accept her, and now her father didn't accept her either.

"What?" Vlad asked, shocked. "Ha-ha, dearest. I wasn't talking about you. I was talking about the other clones." Vlad gestured over to the containment unit now sickly red and green where the green clone had collapsed out of Danny, melting into a pool of ectoplasm.

Danielle screamed. That was what happened to Daniel a whole week ago. Daddy made a new Daniel. He didn't save her cousin. He replaced him. The shock of her cousin's demise and her possible future terrified Dani.

"I know. It's horrible, isn't it? That's why I need Daniel's DNA. To stabilize you, my greatest creation." Vlad put a hand on her shoulder as a means of comfort.

'greatest creation…'

"Really?" Danielle asked hopefully.

"Uh huh," Vlad hung his head in sincerity before turning to her in triumph, "but here's what I need you to do." Danielle listened to her father. She would do anything to prove herself as his greatest creation.

Vlad started explaining Danielle's part in her stabilization. "Danny is terribly weak and will not be able to fight you. I will have to reset the monitors for Danny's morphing. I need you to retrieve him before he escapes."

Danielle looked at her hands, slightly worried. Danny was far more experienced than her.

Vlad gave a sigh in frustration. "I believe in your abilities, dear. I need you."

Danielle nodded at her father. She could do this. As long as Danny was worn out from the shocks, he shouldn't be any problem.

Danielle followed Danny up through the ceiling and found him resting on the top floor trying to figure out where to go. Dani morphed through the floor and reappeared under Danny successfully knocking him across the room.

Danny slammed against the wall before collapsing to the ground.

"You're not going anywhere." Said Dani. He couldn't escape. He was her ticket to freedom. To finally be complete and at her father and cousin's side as an unstoppable team, a family.

Dani shot a beam at her cousin, but he looked up in time to defend himself with a shield. Danielle pouted. If he would come quietly, this would be a lot simpler. Then they wouldn't have to hurt him anymore.

"Stop fighting. I know you're too weak to beat me." Dani advised charging a plasma blast. Danielle could feel the familiar tingling in her legs even though she held a far less powerful ghost ray than the last time her legs began tingling in the arena.

"I'm not gonna fight you." Danny countered. "Every time I fight a clone they turn to goop." Looking down to where Danny was gesturing, Dani could see ectoplasm melting from her legs forming a puddle around her feet.

Screaming in shock, Danielle released her focus making the ghost ray fade out. Once her ray stopped, so did the tingling in her legs. Dani looked back at Danny. Without her powers, how will she capture him? He'll destroy her for sure.

"But you're not mindless like those other clones." Said Danny getting up. "I don't want to hurt you."

"Then let my father have your morph DNA, so he can save me." Dani challenged. If he cared a bit for her safety, he would help her. He has tried so hard to keep the DNA away from Dani and her father.

"He's **not** going to save you." Danny insisted. "He's using you. You're nothing but a mess he's not gonna clean up."

'No, that's not true. He's trying to save me.' Thought Dani growing angrier. 'He's accepted me. Danny hasn't.'

"You're a liar." Yelled Dani. She threw an ectoplasmic ray right into Danny before she could even think about what she was doing. Danny flew straight across the room physically breaking through a dresser. Danielle walked over to his now unconscious body. "And I'm gonna prove it." she promised, taking Danny's uniform and morphing him through the floor, down several levels into the laboratory where Vlad was waiting.

"Excellent child. I knew you wouldn't disappoint me." Vlad took Daniel's now human self and secured his wrists into Cell 2. Stepping back, he watched Danielle closely.

Weakened from her final blast, Danielle morphed back to her human half. She was glad Danny was secured in the containment chamber. She had weakened herself severely in the fight against him, and he wasn't even fighting back. It wasn't really a fight at all.

Danielle came up to the controls and closed the cell door. She noticed Danny waking up, looking at her pityingly.

Not letting Danny get to her, she announced, "All secure Dad."

Looking thoughtful, Vlad considered, "I'm still don't know how I'm gonna get him to morph. Unless…" he paused looking enlightened. "Unless you could overshadow him for me dear, force the transformation."

Vlad smirked at his brilliant plan. Danielle was no good to him now. He had what he wanted. If he didn't force such a high voltage and waited Danny out, he would get his DNA sample. Danielle was no longer needed as a pawn.

He had tried to dispose of Danielle before when she proved to be disobedient or unworthy of his time, but she always managed to stick around. Challenging her against other ghosts proved fruitless, but it did boost his stabilizer testing results. He tried to get her to over extend her powers, but she wouldn't follow orders, saving her from destabilization. Once he completed the stabilizer testing, he set her up against a particularly weak Daniel clone that would be perfect to take care of the brat before the clone dissolved himself. Unfortunately he destabilized before he could carry out his work.

Danielle knew she had used up most her remaining energy in battle. "But the last clone that tried that melted. What if it's too much?"

"Oh, it won't be." Vlad tried to assure her, holding back his impatience.

"But what if…" Danielle hesitated.

Then, Vlad's anger exploded. "You. Exist. To Serve. Me! Just. Do It!"

Danny gasped at the pure rage against the younger girl before him. Vlad didn't care about the lives he had brought into existence. Vlad could destroy her. Even if Danielle had turned Danny in to Vlad, he saw himself in her. Not just her appearance. She reminded him of himself. The way he saw things and reacted. She shared his stubbornness and temper. Her willingness to help even if it was against her better judgment. The way she cared for the ones she loved. Her goals and aspirations. This girl may be a clone of Danny, but she was also a part of his being. He had grown to care for the young girl who constantly rebelled against him and remained loyal to the man who made her believe he loved her. Danielle had to break free from Vlad. She deserved so much more.

Danielle felt tears break from her eyes in realization before her terror turned to anger. Danny was right all along. Vlad didn't see her as anything significant or he would value her safety. There was no way she could do this. It was time to make her own decisions. Vlad didn't care for her. She was just another ghost to do his bidding. Time to break free.

Hitting the release button, she yelled at her creator, "You are not the boss of me." Danny's cuffs released from his bloody arms allowing him to break through the glass between him and Vlad.

Seeing Danny free from his machine, Vlad yelled out, "No. No!" Now he would have to capture Danny all over again. He needed to get Danny's DNA and destroy him. He refused Vlad, so Vlad would remove him. Danielle just ruined his entire brilliant plan. He would destroy her himself.

Danny turned to his clone and smiled, "You're helping me now?"

Danielle returned his smile, "You wanna ask questions, or you wanna kick some butt?"

Giving each other a high five, they both morphed into their ghost forms fueled by anger against their common enemy. In perfect synchronization, they blasted their ectoplasmic ghost rays straight into Vlad's body pushing into the last containment chamber across the room from the Phantoms.

Vlad collapsed after hitting the cell containing his primary clone. He didn't get a chance to recover before the cell itself fell on top of him pinning him down.

'That's how you use your surroundings," Danielle thought to herself.

"Nice." Danny complimented.

Vlad successfully forced the containment unit off his back rolling it away from him. As the cell hit the hard floor, the glass broke releasing the ectoplasmic keeping Daniel in check.

Vlad gasped at the sight of everything he had been working for diminish before his eyes.

"Prime clone destabilized Lamb Chop." Vlad watched Daniel fade away like all the other clones, except this one was perfect. "Degeneration happening, sweetness." The computer announced.

"No, no, No!" Vlad screamed as he kneeled in agony.

Danny and Danielle watched on as Vlad's anger and bitterness grew. Turning to the source of his unhappiness, Vlad growled, preparing to destroy the biggest mistake he created, bit by bit.

Danielle met his angry eyes with determination. Charging two plasma rays in her hands, she encouraged herself speaking aloud, "I can do this." Her plasma rays were extremely weak, but she had to give it her best shot. What else could she do?

Danny stood in front of her, protecting her from Vlad's wrath. "You don't have to. Cover your ears and get behind me." Danny was determined to stop Vlad from hurting his friend and bring this terrible laboratory down once and for all.

Widening his stance, Danny took a deep breath before unleashing his most powerful attack, his ghostly wail.

Vlad had never seen such a power before. This was unlike any of his powers. Vlad struggled to move against the wail but to no avail. The sheer power of the vibrations traveling back at him literally pushed him through the air against the wall and held him there twenty feet above the ground. His lab equipment was also caught in the attack, breaking away from their connections in the wall and crashing around him. Despite Vlad's best effort he couldn't move even his hand from where Danny had him pinned down.

His computer appeared next to him to report the grave situation. "Systems damaged. Going critical. Losing coherence. And, I never loved you. I loved the Jack Program." Vlad watched on as the Jack program he created, mainly to throw targets at, appeared next to his dear Maddie hologram.

"Vladdie!" he greeted before kissing the Maddie program before they phased out, the computers out of order. Vlad would be hurt by the ironic betrayal of the computer programs, but became too concerned with the fact his rings phased him back to his human half. Daniel had managed to weaken him to the point of returning to his human form. Finally, Vlad knew it stopped. His ears were ringing, but he felt the drop from his spot on the wall to the floor.

Danny himself had returned to his human half and collapsed on the ground. Danielle walked up to him putting a hand on his shoulder. He just saved her.

"Out of power," he said with great effort, "but worth it to take this place down."

Danielle looked around Danny to see her father collapsed on the ground. The lab was in ruins. Danny had not only saved her but put a halt on Vlad's dream of making the perfect clone family for himself. At least, in this lab…

Dani's thoughts were interrupted when Vlad began marching towards Danny with hate in his eyes. Dani looked to Danny for help, but he was just barely away from passing out himself. He couldn't help her anymore, and Vlad was about to attack him, revenge set in his mind. There was only one thing left to do, save her cousin from her father. Danielle quickly stood in front of Danny.

"Get away from him." Danielle threatened charging a plasma blast.

"I don't think so, girl," Vlad sneered. "You don't dare use your powers again. And he is beaten. This is over."

Although her legs began tingling even with her weak rays, Danielle held them firm in front of Danny. He gave his all to protect her. She would fight till the end to protect him.

Just then a green boomerang appeared out of nowhere and hit Vlad on the back of the head before falling to his feet.

Distracted momentarily, Vlad bent over to inspect the random object. "Oh what stupidity is this?" It had Fenton all over it, another ridiculous invention by Jack, no doubt. But where did it come from?

Danielle looked up to see a ship crashing through the ceiling right towards the three halfas. They barely had a moment to get out of the way. Dani hugged her cousin and bolted away from the falling ship. He was limp in her arms, but perked up when he saw what attacked Vlad. Danielle turned to see Vlad had been hit by the ship and knocked out cold.

The ship's window opened to reveal Tucker and Sam, Danny's two friends from school. Danielle helped Danny back towards his friends. Tucker jumped out of the ship before Vlad had a moment to recover and secured a green belt around his waist. The belt forced Vlad to transform back to his human half leaving him vulnerable to the teenagers surrounding him.

Danny stumbled back towards the Spector Speeder, relief pouring through him. "Man, am I glad to see you."

"Of course you are," Sam retorted. "We're here to help you." She said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. Noticing Danielle by Danny's side, she commented, "And apparently so is your cousin."

Everyone's attention changed to the movement from Vlad. "I can't focus my powers." He had won. How did things turn around so quickly? He had everything. Now he had nothing.

"Which means I don't need mine to do this." Said Danielle arching back her fist. "So, Dad…" Danielle punched Vlad straight in the jaw, successfully knocking him out. "Stay away from my cousin."

Satisfied Vlad was out of commission, Tucker began to worry more about the dangers awaiting back home. They would be grounded for sure, and Danny needed to protect the city. They were going to be constantly sneaking out without getting caught. "Do you have any idea how much trouble we're in right now? And for what, not so much as a…"

"Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you, you guys!" Danny hugged his two best friends tight. "I'll never take you for granted again. Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Okay dude, easy." Tucker knew Sam and him had been giving Danny a hard time about their part in the superhero action, but this was laying it on a little thick.

"Yeah, apology accepted already." Sam agreed.

"And I wouldn't have gotten out of this without you, Danielle. Danielle?" The three teens looked around the lab. "Where'd she go?"


	9. Directions

"Stay away from my cousin!" Danielle warned her now unconscious father.

'No,' Dani corrected herself. 'He may be my creator, but he's not my dad. Fathers love their children and help them grow. Vlad gave up the right to be my father. Danny and my friends will be my family.'

Danny seemed to be almost in shock. He had been sure Vlad had won. Danny had used up any and all his reserved energy in attempt to take down the lab. They was no stopping the bitter old fruit loop. Danielle couldn't stop him either. She had been considerably weakened. He was surprised she was still in her ghost form. They were both at Vlad's mercy. Danny had had some close calls, but this time, he really thought he had failed. He was going to die, and he let down Danielle. The young girl who barely got a chance to live. She deserved to make her own life. The fact Vlad was now beaten and unconscious on the floor was incredible in Danny's mind.

"Do you have any idea how much trouble we're in right now? And for what?"

Danny turned to his best friend breaking out of his shock. If they hadn't come after him, both he and Danielle wouldn't have made it. There was a hate in Vlad's eye Danny hadn't seen before. Vlad was ready to kill. Vlad was going to kill him.

The relief of just being alive and with his friends overwhelmed Danny. Before Tucker could even finish his sentence, Danny tackled him with a hug, repeatedly thanking both him and Sam. Reaching over to hug Sam as well, Tucker and Sam tried to calm Danny down while Danielle watched on. Tucker and Sam had always been there for Danny. Before the accident, dealing with his ghost powers, dealing with teenager stuff, and possibly being destroyed by arch nemeses. Danny always knew they'd be there, but this was the first time he realized, he couldn't have made it this far, or through this battle, without them.

Danielle watched the reunion and enjoyed the peacefulness of the moment. Danielle hadn't thought too much of his friends back at the school. She didn't even understand why Danny would keep two friends who seemed so put up with him. Now she knew why Vlad planned ahead to keep Danny's friends from getting involved with the fight, and directly left a false trail back towards the Wisconsin lab before transporting to Colorado. Even Vlad knew Danny's friends would do anything to help him.

Danielle gave a nod in Danny's direction. He would be fine. She needed to finish the job. Danny poured everything he had to stop Vlad's work, giving up even the energy to morph into his ghost half. Dani would have to destroy the labs in Wisconsin.

Danielle flew upstairs, leaving Danny with his friends, and after searching several rooms, found a computer. She would have to find her way to Wisconsin from this lab. She just needed to print directions to Wisconsin from the Colorado lab. She turned on the monitor but the computer brought her mission to a standstill.

'Password?' Danielle slumped in the chair below her. 'Great. Let's try…'

_plasmius_

The password didn't go through. A message popped up to warn the user she only had a few more tries before the computer would shut down. Concentrating, Danielle tried to think of something Vlad would try.

_danielmasters_

_jacksanidiot_

_maddymasters_

Only one more try… Danielle gave a sigh. She brought her fingers back to the keyboard and typed, '_perfectclone.' _Danielle closed her eyes and waited for the computer to shut down. Peeking one eye open, she found the computer had merely turned off. Blinking Dani turned it back on and tried again.

…

"Danielle?" Danny searched around the building high and low, but couldn't find any sign of Danielle around Vlad's mansion. He didn't know where she went, or even if she had anywhere to go, but he wanted to thank her for saving him. She had fought and tried to protect him from Vlad. She was a twelve year old girl. She deserved to be taken care of. Why did she keep running away?

Danny searched around the wooded area for the ghost girl, but he couldn't keep searching forever. He had to go home. His parents had to be worried sick.

Turning back to the mansion, Danny thought about everything that had been thrown at him in the last few hours. Danny wanted answers. How did Vlad clone him? How did a clone turn out to be a girl? Were there any other clones out there?

Sighing, Danny gave up for the time being and joined his friends down in the basement. When he entered the Spector Speeder, Sam and Tucker both looked up acknowledging his presence and waited for Danny's decision. Shaking his head, Danny joined them inside. It would be a long ride home.

"Cheer up, Dude." Tucker said while trying to rewire the Spector Speeder. "You beat the bad guy and your cousin is back on your side. What else can you do?"

Danny's eyebrows furrowed. They didn't know Danielle wasn't really his cousin. He told Sam and Tucker everything. Danielle being his clone was a big part of his life. He should tell them the truth.

"Yeah Danny," Sam agreed. "That cousin of yours throws a mean punch."

Danny face melted to a smile at the memory of Danielle punching Vlad. It had helped Danny had already weakened him with his ghostly wail, but it was still funny to think of a little girl knocking out Vlad.

"Hey, about Danielle…" Danny started.

'Stay away from my cousin.'

Danny paused. He Danielle truly thought of him as a cousin, not just her original. Probably because she was 'Uncle Vlad's daughter.' Vlad didn't deserve Danielle to be his daughter. She had a spirit of her own, and all Vlad did was manipulate her. Then when she wasn't useful anymore, he simply decided to get rid of her.

Danielle was definitely family. She was more than just a cousin. She was more like another sister or even a twin, but it was her life. If she wanted to be Danny's cousin, he would respect her choice. Hopefully she would come back someday, but she had to be pretty confused. She would have to come to that decision on her own.

Tucker and Sam waited for Danny to continue. Danny knew Danielle was a big part of his life, but Danielle's origins wasn't really his secret to tell. It was her secret. Sam and Tucker kept his secret. He would keep Danielle's.

"Yeah," Danny said looking at his friends in the eye, "I think she'll be just fine." Although she still would have to maintain her powers until she could control them, she had a fighting spirit and a good heart. If she was anything like himself, she would make it through. She was stronger than Vlad knew.

"Now we'll make sure you'll be 'just fine.'" Sam said gesturing to the bathroom. Danny raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Danny, your arms are bleeding ectoplasm through your uniform."

Danny looked down to see green ectoplasm filtering through his hazmat suit. Danny shrugged it off. He'd had worse. "It's nothing, Sam. It will be gone in a few hours anyway."

Every time Danny got hurt, Sam and him went through the same routine. Danny didn't see any point in fixing wounds that would heal on their own within a couple hours, but Sam couldn't stand to see Danny hurt. Anything she could do to help the process along would happen.

Sam crossed her arms and waited for Danny to submit. He used to fight her against unnecessary first aid and when she put herself in danger to help him. Eventually he adapted to her insistence to help him. Danny resisted for less than a minute before Sam grabbed Danny's shoulder and lead him to the first aid kit hidden in the bathroom. Danny allowed her to remove his uniform top and begin wrapping his cut wrists and bruised arms. Danny fake sulked as she worked to halt the bleeding.

Tucker continued working on the Spector Speeder listening as Danny grunted as Sam applied fresh bandages to his wrists and forearms. Thank goodness Sam could do all that medical stuff. Tucker couldn't stand doctors, hospitals, or first aid, although he did have a soft spot for nurses.

Tucker needed to get the Spector Speeder back in shape, at least enough to get them back home. Danny was in bad shape. He wouldn't be able to take both him and Sam home for a while. Their best shot at getting home was to rewire the engine removing any unnecessary power wasters until it could get them home. That meant no ghost shield and no ghost detector, but they had Danny. He could sense ghosts and keep them away.

He was almost finished when Danny and Sam rejoined him in the cockpit. Glancing over, he was surprised to see Danny's arms completely covered with bandages, and all of the previously white cloths ghostly green.

"Dude, what happened back there?" The bandages were already leaking his ectoplasm. The hazmat suit must have held the pressure keeping his arms together. Luckily for Danny, Sam insisted she patch him up.

"Eh, Vlad hooked me up to some machine and tried to discover the 'secret of my stability.'" It was mostly true. Vlad wanted to collect his DNA to stabilize his clone son.

"Secret of your stability?" Tucker asked.

"Apparently becoming half ghost isn't a regular occurrence. Vlad, me, and Danielle are one of a kind."

"So he ripped open your arms?" asked Sam. Tucker noticeably flinched.

"Not exactly." Danny glanced down at his wrapped wrists resting in his lap. "He cuffed my wrists to make me stay put. When I tried to break free from the cuffs... They dug into the skin pretty deep."

Danny's friends shared a look. They knew Danny would always fight to do the right thing but did he really have to almost cut through his arm. If Vlad was involved, Danny would rather kill himself trying to stop Vlad than allow him to succeed. Although they were proud of their mutual best friend, it truly scared them to know what he was willing to do. All to protect others.

"When Danielle realized Vlad's intentions, she helped me get out of the pod." Danny said softly, choosing his words carefully. He didn't want Sam and Tucker getting too curious about his cousin like he originally had. "We wrecked the lab before you guys came in and knocked out Vlad… Thank you for that, by the way."

Tucker and Sam were listening wholeheartedly to Danny's explanation, but rolled their eyes at Danny once again thanking them for coming and helping him. They were just being a good friend. If they hadn't shown up, Danny would have fought his way out like he always did, especially with his cousin's help. He was being way too dramatic.

Their conversation was interrupted by the engine beginning to purr. "Boo Ya! Let's go home!" Tucker cheered.

"Yeah," Sam rolled her eyes and slouched down in her seat, "I don't think we'll be leaving home for a while."

….

Danielle had been trying various passwords for at least an hour now. How is she supposed to get back without some sort of map? Dani dropped her head onto the keyboard in frustration. After a few minutes she heard the computer hum back to life, but Danielle hadn't turned the computer back on. She looked up to see a dark screen.

Following the humming noise, she was lead to outside the window where Danny's ship was hovering out the window turning into the required angle for its destination. Widening her eyes, Danielle phased out of the room and into the ship hopefully heading back to Danny's home.

Danielle didn't know how to get back to Wisconsin from here, wherever here was, but she could get back for sure from Danny's place. Once she completed her mission, she could see Max and Tim again. She had never felt such acceptance and caring love from anyone else. Although she had loved her father, he hadn't shown near the same dedication to her as Max and Tim had, and Danny had been suspicious and tried to turn her in to his parents. Dani had felt a bond with the two kids. She couldn't wait to see them again.

Dani entered the ship into a back room. Feeling woozy from the sudden burst of energy to catch the ship, Danielle searched for somewhere to lie down. She was seriously wiped. She had never felt this weak before. During battle with her emotions souring, she could only focus on saving Danny from Vlad's wrath. Danny's safety seemed to temporarily fuel her body with reserved power. Now she was depleted. Searching the area, she found a cot in the back. Laying down on the itchy material, Danielle almost immediately fell asleep.

…

"So is this death trap going to make it home, or should we start hiking?" asked Sam.

The Spector Speeder jerked forward rattling the teenagers inside. Tucker lead the ship forward back toward Amity Park. Sam held a death grip on the seat, thankful for the seat belts Mrs. Fenton installed. Tucker and Sam had already wrecked through a building once today. Sam didn't want to wreck the Spector Speeder again anytime soon.

Tucker looked back at Sam with a sense of confidence. "Don't worry, Sam. I hooked the engine through my PDA, I will get a notification if anything happens."

"Great," Sam glared back, "If anything happens while we're speeding a hundred feet above the ground, I'm sure we'll be thankful for a notification of our doom."

"I put faith in my tech. There's no way I'm going to rely on nature when my trusty PDA will lead us the way home."

"At least we'll be on the ground instead of a dangerous distance above the ground. Besides nature isn't your enemy, Tuck. Even if people have become the earth's enemy."

Danny half listened to his friends argue over the safety of driving the Spector Speeder back to Fenton Works. It would probably be safer to abandon the ship and fly back home, but Danny honestly was still weak from destroying Vlad's labs. If the ship did drop, he could save Tucker and Sam, but the Speeder will be toast.

Danny didn't want his friends to know how wiped out he was, but he wasn't sure if he would be able to fly all the way back to Amity from Colorado. Just searching for Danielle outside Vlad's mansion stressed his ghost form enough to make his arms start bleeding at a ridiculous rate. He didn't want to turn back until the bleeding stopped. Losing blood as a human was much more dangerous than losing a little ectoplasm.

The Spector Speeder jumped forward making Danny use his feet to wedge himself into the seat. Danny didn't know how much more jerking he could stomach. The trip should have only taken a few hours, but with the Speeder trashed, it might take a day or two. They would have to stop somewhere to spend the night. Where is Danielle staying?

Danny tried to clear his head. Thoughts about his clone kept floating in his head. He knew he shouldn't worry about Danielle. Despite being a clone, she was her own person. She chose to go without him. Despite this, Danny couldn't help but feel responsible for her. Did she even have anywhere to go? How could she disappear on him without any explanation? Danielle may not be his responsibility, but she was a part of him. She came to him, or was that all a part of Vlad's plan…

Sam studied Danny as he stared off into space. Tucker hadn't noticed because he was driving and still arguing one sided, but Sam could see something was off about Danny. He hadn't said anything for over an hour, ever since she finished wrapping his arms, and he explained why Vlad kidnapped him. Danny's usual wit to shrug off danger had temporarily disappeared while Danny brooded to himself. It was unusual to see Danny this deep in thought. He normally made decisions, then discussed them with Sam and Tucker. He had no secrets.

A particularly rough pull from the Spector Speeder broke both Sam and Danny's thoughts as it thrust Sam across the seat next to her into Danny's arms.

"Tucker!" Sam accused, righting herself.

"Hey, I'm doing the best I can here."

Danny broke the argument. "Maybe we should land for a while, Tuck. I could use a break myself." He said clutching his stomach.

"If we land now, we might not get back in the air. We should go as far as possible, or at least get to civilization for lunch."

"There are reserves in the back," Sam reminded.

"Bet there isn't any sirloin back there, Sam. I need real food."

"Of course, because real food consists of dead creatures." Sam accused, crossing her arms.

Danny sighed. 'Back to the same argument.'

"Look," Danny interrupted, "We should go somewhere to spend the night. We're not going to get back tonight at this speed. We'll keep going until we find civilization. Then we can try to get the Spector Speeder back in shape."

"Fine." Sam and Tucker groaned.

…

Danielle clutched her knees to her chest and tried to relax while floating within Danny's ship. It was disconcerting floating along within the ship. It jerked forward and constantly veering one way or the other. Danielle was beginning to get sick. She really needed to rest to get some of her strength back, but she was spending more energy keeping up with the ship. She hadn't fallen asleep for five minutes before she was tossed out of the cot, across the room. How Danny's friends got all the way to Vlad's without incident was a miracle.

Not able to stand the irregular motions any longer, Dani allowed the ship to move forward without her in it, phasing through the walls as it passed onward. Dani took a breath as the ship slowly moved forward without her. It wasn't moving very fast. Dani could beat it home at the rate it was moving, and she was still incredibly weak from fighting Vlad. Danielle followed the ship a ways until she saw smoke coming from the woods a little ways away. Curious, Dani stopped. Watching Danny and his friends fly away, Dani noted which way Danny was going before investigating the smoke drifting above the trees.

Danny was heading away from the mountains towards the river ahead. If she needed to catch up, she could probably find him pretty quickly. The cabin the smoke drifted from was pretty small, not far from the path towards Amity Park. Danielle landed and walked up to the cabin door.

Pausing, she considered her plan. Okay, if she could get directions towards Wisconsin, she could destroy Vlad's labs before he had a chance to find her. Flying didn't seem to take up too much energy. She wouldn't be able to fly as fast as Danny or Vlad, but she would manage. Once Vlad's lab was taken care of, she could check on Danny. He saved Danielle from Vlad's control. She was determined to return the favor someday.

Taking a breath, she knocked on the cabin door and waited for someone to answer. After a couple minutes, Danielle tried knocking again. It didn't seem like anyone was home. Backing away from under the porch, Danielle inspected the chimney spewing smoke into the air. Dani, a little confused, turned intangible and walked through the door into the cabin. It didn't seem like anyone was home at the moment.

Passing through the small one room cabin, Danielle found a pile of books on a book shelf. Taking a closer look, Dani found a large red book that said Atlas, at the bottom of the stack. Brightening up, Danielle pulled out the atlas and sat down on the bed next to the bookcase.

Danielle turned through the pages of the book. The Atlas had maps from all over the world. The first section had the world map with information separating the world into hemispheres and continents. Danielle flipped to find the next section over the North Americas. The maps were very broad and had history written around the maps.

Dani flipped through the section reading and trying to find some clue to get her back home… or to Vlad's castle anyway. The map shown showed several major cities, but not Amity Park or Spring Grove, where Max's home was.

Finally Danielle found a section specifically on the United States. Within the Wisconsin border, she found a city called Green Bay. She knew her father…Vlad was a fan of Green Bay. It would be a good place to head toward, but she still wasn't sure which direction to go.

Danielle left the book on the bed and searched through the cabin for a compass, or something to help her figure out which direction to go. Danielle tried to hurry. She didn't know whose cabin this belonged to, and she didn't plan on finding out. She needed to be on her way.

Unable to find a compass, Danielle plopped down by the book. Studying the map of the United States, Danielle found her approximate location between the Colorado Rockies and about where Amity Park was on the computer. Then Dani looked outside the cabin to where Danny and his friends were headed. Apparently she would need to catch up with them after all. She couldn't find her way by herself without anything to guide her. Dani phased out the door and looked towards where Amity Park is supposed to be and began flying towards her cousin's hometown.

After a couple minutes, Danielle stopped and bolted back to the cabin. Flying in the door and taking the Atlas, she set the book on the ground outside and lined the map up, setting her approximate location in the middle and turning the map so that Amity Park was facing the correct direction. From there, Danielle used her finger to follow the path from Colorado to Green Bay. Her finger followed the path off the book and into the dirt.

"If I follow this line, it should get me to Wisconsin," Danielle exclaimed.

Focusing on flying in a straight line, Danielle left the cabin and Atlas behind and towards her destination.

**A/N: Yea! We've officially entered the second story arc. I've spent so much time planning and rewriting the arc outline. I still have a lot to decide and plan out, but I feel like I'm far enough along to start writing again. This chapter did take a while to write because it felt boring for a long time, but I finally got it to where it was somewhat interesting for a setting the scene type chapter. **

**Thank you to all my new followers. I'm so excited you all like my story enough to follow it! I always encourage positive criticism. I would love to hear what you like and don't like or think I need to work on more. **


	10. The Mission

Endless green raced below Dani's vision. It felt like all she had done all night is fly above trees. Well, trees and dirt. Between Colorado and Wisconsin she traveled across a lot of desert, but now her vision consisted of trees in every direction. Danielle took deep breathes and attempted to keep up the pace. She couldn't allow herself to rest until she completed her mission. Although the green bushes below her seemed to be slowing down.

At least she didn't have to travel all the way to Green Bay before she found out where Vlad lived. Thankfully random people filling up their gas tanks were impressed she knew such a rich and important billionaire and pointed her in the right direction. The last place she stopped at was pretty dirty looking and the employees weren't much better. She wouldn't have stopped at all, but a boy outside the gas station with a water hose attracted her attention. She managed to splash herself with surprisingly cool water and satisfy her dry mouth and throat. She hadn't had anything to eat or drink in a couple days and she was no thief, but the boy was happy to help her out. He informed her she had finally made it past the Wisconsin border, her time in the desert was over, and how to find Vlad's castle from that point. A quick look at a map inside the convenient store helped Danielle find her new direction. She thanked the hose boy, who claimed he was happy to just get out of the morning heat and wished her a safe journey.

Danielle watched the sun rising higher in the sky. A flight cross country should have only take a few hours, but her night long trip hadn't even allowed her to find the castle. She was working on borrowed time as is. Vlad can travel home instantly at any point. Sighing she continued watching for Vlad's mansion. The castle should be visible from the air. It was far higher than the trees surrounding it. Hopefully he would still be in Colorado until Danielle was long gone.

Danielle was shocked out of her thoughts when something hit her ankle. Using the momentum to spin around, she prepared to defend herself. Danielle was met with a branch swaying from where she hit it. Danielle sighed. She had been slowly losing altitude, as well as her speed, throughout the trip. Perhaps she could use a quick break before she continued on.

Danielle eased herself down onto one of the trees below her and rested against the branches. Closing her eyes for a second, she tried to catch her breath and regain some of her energy. Flying took very little energy for a ghost, and Danielle was no exception. She had begun floating around almost immediately after being created. However being absolutely worn out from Vlad's fight and flying all night left her in a new state of exhaustion.

Danielle jerked up, swaying her body out when she felt her head drop.

"No! Come on, Danielle. You can't fall asleep until you've completed your mission!" She commanded herself.

Shaking her head, Dani stood up on the branch and looked around trying to remember which direction she had been traveling before she almost allowed herself to pass out. All she could see around her was green from the trees and blue from the sky. Then Dani's eyes lit up at a white color far in the distance. "That has to be it!" Dani cried.

Jumping into the air towards the white blob, she whispered to herself, "This better be it." Forcing herself to get rise higher above the tree line, she noticed her hands shaking. "I don't know how much further I can go."

As the white came closer and closer, Dani gasped in relief. The towers displayed green flags displayed along the white walls. That was Vlad's castle for sure. Danielle swayed with the wind and furrowed her brows trying to concentrate.

"I just have to make it into Vlad's lab and break the cloning system." Dani coached herself. "I can do this. Keep going."

After passing the tree barrier surrounding the castle, Dani allowed herself to lower back towards the ground. Not wanted to risk Vlad catching her inside the castle, Danielle phased herself through the ground into the hidden lab underneath the castle library.

The metal walls passed a chill down through Dani's spine, even as she passed through intangibly. The lab was exactly as Dani remembered it. The empty room full of ghost weapons and experiments running. Danielle's first instinct was to bolt. The lab was filled with ectoplasm from the many failed ghost experiments left behind by Vlad when he took Dani away two weeks ago.

Danielle passed by the green stained chambers to find no life within the small ghost traps. The lab was a completely abandoned. There were no more ghosts held within its walls. Danielle held her stomach and resisted the urge to throw up. The walls pressed in and the smell was overbearing. Holding her nose, Danielle passed through to the main laboratory.

Coming up to the computer monitor, Danielle tried to charge a blast. Once she destroyed the lab, she could move on finding the second laboratory. A green light sparked above her palm, but she couldn't get her ghost energy to form a charge. Dani blinked at her hand before trying, and failing, again. Taking a deep breath, Danielle tried to concentrate her energy. She knew she was weak, but she had to finish her mission. Her entire purpose at the moment was to stop Vlad's cloning plans. She owed Danny everything. She couldn't let him down. She needed to finish the job. Concentrating on the flow of her energy she tried to charge the ectoray once again. This time she couldn't even produce a spark.

Dani stared at her hand in defeat. If she couldn't even produce a simple ectoblast, how could she stop Vlad's plans? She still had to find the other lab while all the while avoid Vlad from finding her and regain control over her unstable ghost form. Danielle looked around the lab frantically for some kind of solution. Failure was not an option. What could she do? Danielle stopped when she noticed she was rocking herself slightly. "You need to calm down Danielle. You can do this. For Danny. He believes in you. He saved you for a reason. Now you need to pay him back."

Searching the lab, Dani found a candle by a picture of Danny's mother. Smirking, Danielle rolled her eyes and looked through the drawers. If he kept a candle, maybe he had some matches or something down here. At least it's something.

After a few minutes of fruitless searching, she opened the file cabinets and looked for anything that could help her. "There's got to be a self-destruct button or something. He's an evil scientist." Dani muttered as she searched through the endless papers. "And he's super cliché. There's got to be something."

Leaving the files and looking over Vlad's desk, she found a notebook full of figures and dollar signs. Frowning Danielle glanced through until she noticed a price for a Summer Home in Michigan. Her eyes lit up. That's where Max lived. This must be where the other cabin was. Danielle looked over the address and tried to memorize it. That would be her next destination, or at least it would be if she could figure out how to destroy Vlad's lab without her ghost powers. Dani tried charging another ghost ray. Her hands remained empty. Shoving her fist back down to her side, Danielle continued with the search for a self-destruct button.

A little dizzy, Dani looked through the shelves. Maybe it was behind a book or something. Behind the cabinet doors, Dani found Vlad's ghost weapons. Dani raised her eye brows. "That'll work."

Most were halfway taken apart and many had Fenton written across them, but others were more mature versions of the other ectoguns sitting on the shelves. He must still be working on these. Vlad never trained her in ghost weapons, but she knew basic information about regular guns from the data upload when she was first created. Picking one up, Dani studied the weapon. It was loaded and ready to go. Flipping off a switch that was labeled safety, Dani aimed the gun towards Vlad's computer and fired.

Hitting the ground, Danielle felt the wind knock out of her and the cold lab turn into an inferno. The ectoguns clanged down behind her head. Gasping air into her lungs, she rolled over to see the computer had exploded. The room had become infested with flames burning all Vlad's research and technology throughout the room.

Danielle forced herself into a sitting position and tried to phase her way through the fire and out the wall. Unfortunately the flames were too hot for her to phase through. Confused, Danielle backed away from the walls. The fire spread quickly along Vlad's research Dani had spilled out along the room. Danielle tried to find a way out, but the fire had already rose through to the upper levels. Parts of the ceiling began caving. Danielle was trapped.

Dani spun around looking for an escape from the pit surrounding her. Maybe she could wait it out. The fire couldn't spread across the metal floor to where she was. She would have to wait until it went out on its own. Danielle soon realized the flaw in her plan as smoke filled the closed space.

Coughing, Danielle decided to try once again to phase through the flames. Pulling her hazmat suit up over her nose, Danielle gave herself a running start and covered her face with her arms before jumping through the flames and wall into the cool dirt surrounding the lab. She stopped just outside the dirt barrier in pain. Her face and stomach were burning hot. Dani flew upward into the light and fresh air above. Resting in the grass, Danielle inspected her abdomen where her skin was exposed. Her hazmat suit had helped protect her from the heat, but her stomach had red burns across it. She didn't know what her face looked like, but it couldn't be much better.

Dani turned her head away from her midriff and tried to hold in the tears threatening to leave her eyes. Through the tears sitting on the edge of her eyelids, she could see flames rising up into the rest of the castle. Dani used her arm to wipe at her eyes before running away from the torture behind her. She wasn't sure where she was going, but she had to get away from the castle. The lab was destroyed, and although unintentional the house was burning to the ground as a bonus.

"One down… one to go."


	11. Finishing the Mission

"How am I going to find the other lab before _he_ figures out what I've done?" Dani wondered, lying across a park bench. After escaping the exploding lab, she ran blindly through the woods until she noticed a light source through the woods. Changing directions towards the lights, she finally made it to a small town several miles away from the ruined castle. She needed a place to rest before she continued her mission. This would have to do.

Dani watched the buses come in and out of the building across the road and wiped her forehead. Even though it was late, it felt like she was sweating really badly. She moved her arm across her forehead, but her eyes shot open when her skin moved with her arm. Blinking, she ran to across the street to look for some kind of mirror or way to see her reflection. The windows weren't reflecting very well with the poor sunlight, but she found a mirror in the room with a toilet and a sink.

Checking her face, Dani found her skin was beginning to sag down her face, and where she had wiped her 'sweat' revealed an entire fold of loose skin pushed across the right side of her face. Breathing quickly, Danielle tried to fix what she had done. The skin was gently moved back across her face to its normal position. Unfortunately, the skin didn't want to un-stretch itself.

Danielle felt tears stink her eyes. Her face looked completely disfigured. How could she make it back if she couldn't keep herself together? Resting her face on her hands, she immediately regretted her decision as the skin squished away. Dani's shoulder's dropped at the sight of two hand prints imprinting her skin. '_What am I going to do?'_

Squeezing her eyes shut, she forced herself to think logically. "What would Danny do?"

Taking a second to breathe, Danielle straightened up. "Danny wouldn't let Vlad defeat me. He would give it everything until the very end." Eyebrows furrowing at the last thought, she finally nodded. "And that's what I'm going to do."

Pushing the skin around her eyes around so the folds looked somewhat decent, which isn't saying much, she made her way out of the bathroom and into the bus station. There were several people staring, but she was on a mission. If Vlad taught her anything, the mission is the first concern. She needed to get to Vlad's lab. There is only one way Danielle knew to find it. She needed to find a bus that would take her to Max's town. From there she could find Vlad's cabin, and her mission would be complete. She would return her debt to Danny and saved any future clones from their unfortunate fates.

Pulling her hoody over her face, Dani snuck onto the bus heading towards the cabin. She would have to lay low until some people come on board. Then she could rest up. If she learned anything from her previous bus ride, no one was happy about being on the bus. It was time for a boring, long ride.

….

"Tucker, I can't take much more of this." Sam begged holding her stomach. The Spector Speeder gave another jerk causing both Danny and Sam to be pulled out of their seat. Danny simply floated in the air before regaining his footing. Sam wasn't so lucky.

Pulling herself off the floor, refusing Danny's outstretched hand, Sam made her way behind the driver's seat. "Pull over, or when I puke, it's gonna be all over you."

"Ah, come on Sam. We're only a few more hours away from Amity Park now. If we stop now, I'm not sure we'll make it the rest of the way." Tucker insisted.

Holding her ground, Sam dug her hands into the seat separating her and the driver. "You said that all night, and we've worked through it," she nodded to Danny, who was paler than when in his ghost form. She mustn't look too much better herself. Even Tucker, who was insistent on making it the rest the way home today wasn't looking his best. Trying to drive a failing death trap would do that to you. "We need a break Tucker. Pull over."

"If you need a break so bad, have Danny fly you outside the Speeder for a while." Tucker insisted. Sam peeked over at their mutual best friend, who did look like he could use the air. It would be the perfect excuse to pull him away from his distracted mind. How Danny could focus on anything outside their current predicament was beyond her, but she didn't have a cousin who knows where to worry about either, and she knew how seriously Danny took anything he considered to be his responsibility.

Eyebrows dropping in concern, Sam leaned down to Tucker's ear, where Danny wouldn't hear, not that he was listening anyway. He was completely consumed by his thoughts. "Tuck…"

Tucker turned with an eye brow raised. The sudden change in demeanor got through to him, but he wasn't going to cave without good reason. He truly believed once he landed the Speeder, that was it. She wouldn't get any further. If they could only make it the last few hours, they could figure things out from there.

Sam met his eyes, but shifted them towards Danny for a moment, before returning to their pleading, concerned look. Tucker followed her gaze over to his best friend. Danny had been quiet the entire ride. Tucker knew sometimes after fighting Vlad, Danny would get real serious. Danny was great about rolling things off with quips and jokes. Only Sam and Tucker knew what happened when Danny began taking things too seriously. Danny was definitely in that place now.

Letting his shoulders drop, Tucker turned the Speeder toward a group of houses in the distance. Hopefully they would have some supplies to fix up the Speeder once they landed.

….

The sudden decent pulled Danny from his thoughts. Looking surprised at his two best friends, he watched as Tucker pulled toward a small town, if it was even large enough to be called that, looking defeated and Sam watching over him in victory. Apparently Sam finally convinced Tucker to pull over. She had only been griping to him about it all night.

Danny was concerned they wouldn't make it home until later, but honestly Sam could use the fresh air. It was bad enough she was cooped up for several hours on the initial trip over to Colorado. Now due to the Speeder's crash, it was hardly moving at all. They had been traveling almost all night and they still had hours until they would be getting close.

It would have been way faster to just fly home instead of riding in the Speeder, but honestly Danny wasn't feeling very strong at the moment. Although he believed that had less to do with his energy drain and more to do with the rocking and jerking, all night ride. At least he could float off the ground. Poor Sam and Tucker were stuck on the floor. Although the shifting ground wasn't easy for him to take either. It made him a little motion sick to be honest.

Danny joined Sam behind the driver's seat to watch as the ground came closer and closer to the Speeder. "Everything alright, Tuck." Danny poked.

"Yeah, great!" Tucker replied, sounding defeated.

Danny chuckled to himself. He knew as well as anybody, when Sam got something into her head, there was no stopping her. She always managed to get what she wanted out of him. Tucker was a bit more hard headed, but obviously she got her way anyway. Danny wasn't complaining. He was glad to get out of the death trap with seatbelts for a while.

After a few minutes, Tucker began slowing down the Speeder. "Get ready for a rocky landing."

"Can't be worse than the rocky beginning." Sam grumbled.

Danny sighed. These two managed to argue over everything. Sam finally convinced Tucker to pull over and it still wasn't enough to satisfy her.

Hitting a satisfying bump, Tucker leaned into the controls. His arms strained to keep control. "You might wanna hold on to something." He groaned.

Danny tried to help with the controls after all Tucker had been manipulating and hold them steady all night. It didn't seem to help too much. The three friends felt a drop towards the ground below. "For the record," Tucker groaned glancing over to Sam, "I blame you."

…

About a mile outside the quiet gathering of small buildings hidden in the woods the Spector Speeder, not so ceremoniously, landed. The engine smoked and heaved as it lost power. After a few moments the doors were blasted off releasing the group of coughing teens. Each stumbled out eyes burning and desperately trying to clear their airways of the thick smoke pouring from the Spector Speeder.

Danny, currently suited up as Phantom, watched his friends as they collapsed down on their knees. "Maybe that wasn't such a good idea after all."

"I'd rather the Speeder give out while we're trying to land than when we're miles up in the air." Sam reasoned.

"It wouldn't have given out if we kept going." Tucker insisted. "We were so close too." Tucker made his way back to the engine.

Sam allowed herself to drop into the grass below her while Tucker worked. The only person fit to work on Fenton Technology outside Danny's mom would be Tucker. The way Mr. Fenton fit together ghost tech was beyond confusing. They had tried to get outside help before, but no dice. No one could even figure the basic concepts of the inventions. During Danny's ghost training, Tucker had some training of his own to conquer, discovering the secret to Fenton Ghost Inventions. The best thing Sam could do now is watch Danny.

Looking over, she watched Danny sink closer and closer towards the ground as he watched Tucker desperately try to get the damage under control. He made a motion to go over and try to help, before Danny could get in Tucker's way, Sam reached up and grasped his arm.

Danny looked down where Sam was lying in the grass. She offered a small smile of comfort before pulling him down in the grass beside her. Danny complied, turning back from Phantom to Fenton. Stroking the grass around her, Sam allowed herself to relax after the worst flight ever. Peaking over to Danny's face, she could see his color reduce down from its previous verdigris.

"Sam," Danny started.

Sam turned over to him waiting for him to continue. His face contemplated and shifted through a few expressions of confusion, regret, rage, and uncertainty. Whatever happened with his cousin seemed to have seriously confused him. Danny never kept anything from her and Tucker. Danny knew he could trust them with anything. The fact he was spending so much time within his thoughts wasn't too unusual after a fight with Vlad, but he needed to let it out.

Finally Danny continued, but not what Sam was waiting to hear. "So how much trouble do you think we'll be in?" he jokingly asked.

Playing along, Sam answered, "Pretty massively." Danny turned back to looking up and watched the clouds a while. She didn't want to push him, but Danny didn't need to focus so hard on negative thoughts. He needed to vent them out. "So where do you think she went, home?"

Closing his eyes, Danny breathed, "Yeah, I guess so."

Furrowing her brows slightly, Sam continued, "Too bad she couldn't come back with us. You have a pretty awesome cousin Danny."

Danny turned to his side facing away from Sam towards the town. "Yeah, I do."

"Uh," Sam groaned. "Danny," Sam insisted, "you have to talk about this. It's not good to bottle things up like this."

Danny turned back towards her sharply. Sam was surprised to see his eyes glowing green. "You want me to talk, Sam. I'm worried about her. She somehow gets tangled up with Vlad and disappears before I can make sure she's okay. She's my.. my cousin, Sam. I feel responsible for her, and I can't even check on her."

Taken aback at his angry tone towards her, Sam allowed Danny to vent. She knew the anger wasn't towards her. She might have annoyed him into his angry state, but he needed an outlet. Sometimes Sam wondered if Danny worried too much for her and Tucker. Now he had to worry about a super powered cousin too. At least he could keep an eye on her and Tucker. He knew they were okay.

"It's okay to be worried, Danny. You shouldn't have to keep all this to yourself."

Danny nodded, but Sam could read his underlying expression. 'Yeah, I do.'

…

Tucker stepped away from the smoking engine. Sevral of the parts needed to be replaced from the crash the previous day, but he had managed to get the engine working again bypassing a few more optional parts for the very necessary pieces. Now the engine looked like it needed to be sold for scrap. He had hoped to get started agin by morning, but if he had to fix the Speeder, they would be stuck for a lot longer. He stopped near the houses in hopes of finding materials to patch up the engine, but there wasn't much to repair anymore. Tucker's thoughts were interrupted when he made it over to where Sam and Danny were waiting.

"So, how's it look?"

Tucker looked up at his best friend. "Not good, Dude. I'm not going to get it back in the air by tomorrow. That's for sure."

Sam and Danny took in the information, slowly nodding their heads.

"So what do we do now?" Tucker inquired. "Call Jazz?"

Sam gave Tucker an annoyed look. Danny shook his head. Tucker was only joking, but Sam knew Danny didn't like getting Jazz involved with their ghost work.

"If we call my dad we won't be able to leave until the Speeder is fixed."

Tucker chuckled. "In other words, until your mom tracks him down. That ship's not going anywhere for a while."

"So what?" Sam asked. "Abandon the ship here and fly home. Your dad's not going to be happy."

"We've already managed to make all our parents upset." Danny reasoned. Glancing over to the ship, he sighed. "No, we're not leaving it, we're doing something worse."

…

"I found it." Dani looked up at the small cabin. Immediate dread followed by small relief washed over her. Coming here was the key to her original escape. Now it world finish her bond to Vlad.

Dani crept up to the cabin entrance and thankfully found it unlocked. Weird. She had unlocked it when she had first arrived, but Vlad would have definitely locked it back up. He must have never noticed the door at all. 'He teleports and phases through everything,' she reasoned.

Dani sneaked through the entrance down to the lab. Everything was the same as when she had left it. The clone experiments were still set up, her tube still in the lab ready for her analysis, and even her stabilizers were set up for dinner.

As soon as Vlad had his clone, he must have transferred over to Colorado. Did he even know she was gone? Danielle searched through Vlad's files. Making a stack, she tried to charge a blast. She could feel her skin begin to sweat. She knew better than to wipe away the annoying sensation now. It would only cause her skin to be wiped away from her scalp as easily as the sweat. Finally managing to spark to light the paper file piles, she allowed the flame to grow and spread across the lab.

Exhausted, Dani sat against her tube. She did it. She finished her mission. Her thoughts traveled to her friends. She promised herself she'd come back and see them again. She even went through their town to find this place, but she didn't want them to see her like this. She so desperately wanted to see Danny and thank him for not giving up on her. He should have vaporized her the way she betrayed him.

The flames were growing closer to her tube. She relaxed for a moment before jerking up again. She knew what to do. Turning to the IV bag waiting by the tube, she only hesitated for a moment before taking the stabilizers and forced her way out the door away from the smoke filled cabin. Maybe she would be able to return her debts after all.

…

Taking a breathe, Danny knocked on his front door. Glancing back at his two friends, which both smiled and nodded encouragingly, he prepared for the biggest grounding of his life, and he had gotten in some pretty bruised pickles since becoming half ghost. Luckily he could just phase through any prison walls, but e only allowed himself escape for ghost related activities. He couldn't allow risking his punishments being extended.

He froze when the front door opened to find Mr. Lancer waiting.  
"Mr. Lancer?" the three kids inquired together.

"Ah, if it isn't the three who though they could ditch without having to worry abou n."

Danny turned back towards Sam. 'You called him an old man?' he silently asked.

Sam rolled her eyes and motioned her head towards a very embarrassed looking Tucker.

Mr. Lancer opened the door, silently inviting them in.

"Danny!" Danny tensed as his mother tackled him from her place on the couch. Danny tried to squirm from her embrace, but the only possible option of escape would include phasing through his mother's arms and flying far away. "Daniel James Fenton, what were you thinking, young man?" she demanded. Forcing Danny back towards the couch, Danny and his friends sat and began their agreed tale.

…...

"Wow, I feel great!" Dani thought. The trees below here were moving at an almost frightening pace, but she only felt the exhilaration of being able to go full speed once again. "Bring it on, 'Dad.' I'm ready for you now!"

With her new surge of energy, Danielle only had one place in mind. She had to thank her cousin for everything he did. Then finally she would be even. Her mission would be complete. Approaching the familiar city of Amity Park, Danielle found her way through the streets to the flashy home of Fenton Works. Popping her head through to Danny's room, she was surprised to not find him back there.

"You are in so much trouble!" Voices yelled outside the door.

Confused she phased through his door into the hallway where the staircase opened up into the living room below. There she found Danny and his two friends, as well as Danny's parents and another old guy.

"Skipping school. Stealing and Wrecking the Spector Speeder!" Danny's dad accused.

'Oh, Danny was in trouble.'

"Calling me old man!"

Dani almost giggled at that, but she didn't see any amusement from her cousin. Danny and his friends looked absolutely miserable. They must be in a lot of trouble, Dani realized. She knew when she got in trouble with her father, she would be stuck in her tube forever. Sometimes he would level up her training to where she would get seriously hurt. Not that the stabilizers and her natural ghost energy didn't take care of it, but she didn't want anybody hurting Danny.

Danny's mother joined the two men getting onto the teens. "Tucker, Sam, when I call your parents.." Without thinking Dani dove into Danny's mom. Danny wouldn't want his friends in trouble, and she owed him. "You are gonna be grounded…"

"But there's no need to call their parents really." At seeing the confusion on everyone's faces, she added a "Right?"

"What?" the room called out in unison.

"Now just wait just a minute!" Mr. Lancer insisted.

Phasing out of Danny's mother, Dani switched over to the other guy.

"No, she's right. I mean, you can always build a better and more cool version of your…"

Dani panicked for a second, 'what was that thing called?'

"ship things… right?"

Danielle watched as Danny's dad's face brightened dramatically.

"Hey, that's true!" Turning back towards the lab downstairs, he added, "I'm gonna start building a cooler ship thing right now!"

Leaving the adults in a state of slight confusion and the teens in an equal state of confusion, Dani went up to Danny's room. Her mission was complete. All that was left was saying goodbye. It was time to see her friends.

Danny and his two friends came in a few minutes later looking much better than before. Tucker and Danny immediately sat down while Sam picked up a basketball off the floor.

"I didn't know you could overshadow people from a distance." She said. "Thanks!"

Danielle cocked an eyebrow. That's impossible. No ghost can do that. You need minions to overshadow multiple people, or hypnotize them.

Danny seemed even more confused than before. "I can't. I didn't."

Revealing herself just outside the window, Danielle added, "And the best part is, I didn't have to waste any energy on your dad." It was interesting to see the relief melt onto Danny's features. After a half second consideration, Dani added, "It's Dani, with an 'i.' And don't worry, you'll see me again."

…

Sam and Tucker looked over to Danny. His cousin had finally revealed herself to be okay. Knowing Danny that wouldn't be enough. He seemed like he was trying to convince himself to either follow her or let her go. She obviously could take care of herself, and she probably had a family to go back to anyway.

"Danny, you okay?" Sam inquired.

"I don't want her out there with Vlad after her." Danny admitted.

"Dude, she obviously trust you. If she needs you, she'll be back." Tucker insisted.

Danny still looked like he was about to jump out the window and track her down, but he did seem a little more calm.

"Listen, thanks guys. I really appreciate it." Danny said.

Rolling her eyes, Sam passed the ball over at Danny. "We'd love to sit and listen to you thanking us, again, but we should get home before our parents get suspicious of our unauthorized sleep over last night."

"Yeah man, we'll see you tomorrow at school."

Sam and Tucker exited out the door and Danny looked down at the basketball in his hands. Bouncing it once, he allowed it to roll across the room, and turned to look out the window where Danielle, or Dani, disappeared.

"Hey, think fast."

Danny turned back from the window to see the basketball flying towards his head. Using his instincts to stop the ball before it conked him in the head, he lowered the ball to reveal Danielle back in his room again.

"Danielle?"

Danielle shifted her head to the side.

"Oh, right. Dani. Wow, that's going to take some getting used to." Danny chuckled.

Dani brightened up immediately. "Listen Danny, thank you for saving me from Vlad. I did some bad things, but…" before she could explain all she did to redeem herself, Danny interrupted her.

"Dani, you did nothing wrong. You were tricked by my arch enemy."

Dani still looked ready to argue, but before she got the chance Danny continued.

"We defeated him together Danielle. If it weren't for you, I'd be toast. If you even need anything let me know. I'm sure I could even convince my parents to let you stay with us."

A hopeful face appeared only for an instant before covered by consideration.

"Thanks a lot for everything Danny, but I have to take care of a few things before I decide what to do next."

"But if you ever need anything," Danny stressed.

Dani smiled. "Yeah, anything." She agreed.

Feeling better Danny allowed her to go, before catching up with his friends outside. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Danielle spinning and twisting in midflight into the sunset. 'I guess she'll be just fine after all.'

**A/N: I would like to thank Liliana Dragonshard, SuperCynda, and KuriMaster13 for posting reviews on the last chapter and making me feel super special on my 22nd birthday. I didn't even realize when I posted the chapter late July 6th, but when I received three reviews and one that make me laugh for a good five minutes on July 7th, it made my special day all that more amazing! I felt like I was on Cloud 9!**

**I know it doesn't seem like I'm all that thankful by looking at my updates for the past three months, but in my defense I was taking on three jobs and college. Now I only have two jobs and college and broke through my major writer's block. I can't guarantee consistent chapters for now, but know as long as I enjoy writing the story and receive positive support, I will continue writing. I would also like to thank my three recent followers that got the story back on my mind, which caused my breakthrough!**


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